During a routine cleaning drive on a vacant plot in Bengaluru, sanitation workers stumbled upon a decomposed female body, initially appearing to be an unidentified corpse but later unraveling into a chilling murder investigation that pointed directly to the victim's husband nearly three weeks after the crime.
Arrest of the Husband and Background
The Sampigehalli police arrested 32-year-old Sagar Chandra Rawat for the alleged murder of his 28-year-old wife, Anusuya Behera. Rawat, a native of Bihar, worked at a hotel in Bengaluru, while Anusuya was employed at a garment store. According to police, the couple had married following a romantic relationship and moved to Bengaluru just a few months prior. While things were initially stable, frequent disputes soon arose between the couple due to ongoing financial troubles.
The Fatal Dispute and Hiding the Body
Police investigations revealed that on the night of August 11, another argument erupted over money matters. Following a heated escalation, Sagar allegedly assaulted Anusuya and strangled her to death. In a shocking turn of events, instead of disposing of the body immediately, the accused reportedly kept the corpse hidden inside their house for about three days. He then wrapped the body in a bedsheet, concealed it inside a bed, and dumped it on a desolate plot in the Sampigehalli area. Police suspect that even after disposing of the body, the accused frequently visited the vicinity to check if anyone had discovered it.
Discovery During a Sanitation Drive
The crime remained concealed for weeks until September 2, when the local administration initiated a cleaning campaign across vacant plots. During the drive, sanitation workers noticed a suspicious pile of debris. As they cleared the rubbish, a woman's body was recovered in a severely decomposed state, with stray dogs having mauled parts of it. The extent of decomposition made identification a major challenge for the police until a vital clue changed the course of the investigation.
A Clothing Tag Leads Investigators to the Victim
A clothing tag found near the body provided a crucial breakthrough. The investigative team traced the purchase of the garment using the tag, leading them to a shopping mall. Based on information gathered from the outlet, police identified the woman as 28-year-old Anusuya Behera. Attention then turned to her husband's whereabouts. When investigators checked on Sagar, he was found working normally at his hotel, going about his daily routine as if nothing had happened.
Interrogation and Confession
Police questioned people familiar with the couple, uncovering a history of frequent domestic altercations, which placed Sagar firmly on the police radar. Taken into custody for interrogation, police stated that he confessed to killing Anusuya. According to authorities, he committed the murder following a financial dispute, concealed the body at home for three days, and later disposed of it in a secluded spot. The Sampigehalli police arrested the accused within a week of recovering the body, and he was subsequently remanded to judicial custody following his production in court.
