In a disturbing turn of events following the suicide of the primary suspect in the Bengaluru Mahalaxmi murder case, the family of deceased Mukthiranjan Roy has come forward with serious allegations against the victim. They claim that Mahalaxmi had been blackmailing Roy and extorting money from him.
Roy’s younger brother revealed that the accused had confided in him about committing the crime and the circumstances leading to such a heinous act just days before his tragic death.
"He stayed with me for the last 10 to 12 days at my mess in Berhampur. He told me that Mahalaxmi was constantly blackmailing him and had taken significant amounts of money and gold from him," he said.
According to Roy's brother, the victim had reportedly extorted between ₹7 to ₹8 lakhs from Roy, along with a gold chain and rings intended for his siblings. He further alleged that Mahalaxmi once intercepted Roy while he was traveling to Kerala, leading to a public altercation where he was falsely accused of kidnapping.
"The public beat him and handed him over to the police, who later released him after accepting a ₹1,000 bribe," he explained.
Roy's brother also alleged that Mahalaxmi's brothers had threatened Roy, warning him that they would harm him and his family if he did not comply with her demands. He stated that on the day of the murder, Mahalaxmi had called Roy and threatened his life, which reportedly provoked him to strangle her in a fit of rage.
Bengaluru police were on their way to arrest Roy when he committed suicide by hanging himself from a tree in Bhuinpur village, Odisha. Bhadrak SP Varun Guntupalli confirmed that Roy had expressed fear of arrest in a suicide note discovered in a book within a bag at the scene. The note also indicated a confession to the crime.
“He had mentioned killing Mahalaxmi to his mother before taking his life,” added the SP.
Mahalaxmi, a 26-year-old single working woman, was brutally murdered on September 3. The investigation revealed that her dismembered body had been concealed in a refrigerator, with forensic examinations confirming the remains had been chopped into 59 pieces. Her family discovered the macabre scene at her Vyalikaval home on September 21.
Preliminary reports suggest that Roy and Mahalaxmi were colleagues, and sources indicate that he had been unhappy about her involvement with another man. Mahalaxmi had not reported to work since September 1, and her family noted that her phone was turned off from September 2 onward.
As the investigation continues, the police are analyzing the suicide note and conducting a post-mortem examination to further unravel the grim circumstances surrounding this case.