A post is circulating on social media (here, and here) claiming that a Hindu woman was murdered by her Muslim boyfriend, with her body dismembered and kept in a fridge. This post is shared in the context of the recent murder case of a woman named Mahalakshmi in Bengaluru. Let’s verify the claim through this article.
Claim: A Muslim man dismembered the body of a woman named Mahalakshmi in Bengaluru and kept it in a fridge.
Fact: The recent murder of a woman named Mahalakshmi in Bengaluru on 21 September 2024 is being linked to a false narrative of love jihad. Initially, the victim’s estranged husband claimed that she was having an affair with a barber named Ashraf, whom he alleged murdered her. However, Ashraf was released after police interrogation, as they determined he was not involved in the murder. The Police stated that Mukti Ranjan Roy, the primary suspect in the case, committed suicide in Odisha. A death note found at the suicide site confessed to the murder. Hence, the claim made in the post is MISLEADING.
A Google keyword search regarding this incident led us to several reports (here and here). According to these reports, the murdered woman’s husband accused his wife of having an illicit relationship with a man named Ashraf. As a result, they began living separately after nine months of marriage. Das alleged that Ashraf murdered her. Later, the police interrogated Ashraf, but after the investigation, they found that Ashraf had no connection to the murder.
We also found a report that revealed that the Bengaluru police had identified Muktiranjan Pratap Roy, a colleague of the victim, as the prime suspect in her murder.
Further investigation led to a YouTube video published by ANI on 27 September 2024, featuring a press conference held by Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda. During the press conference at the Commissioner’s office, Commissioner Dayananda stated that Mukti Ranjan Roy, the prime suspect in the Bangalore woman’s murder case, had committed suicide in Odisha’s Bhadrak district. A note was also found at the suicide site.
The Odisha Police also clarified that in the suicide note left by Mukti Ranjan Roy, he confessed to the murder of the victim.
To sum up, the recent murder of a woman named Mahalakshmi in Bengaluru is being shared with a false love jihad narrative.
