Visakhapatnam: Woman’s body found in sealed drum

VISAKHAPATNAM: A woman’s body was found wrapped in an air-tight plastic cover at a house in Vikalangula Colony at Kommadi in Madhurawada under the PM Palem police station limits late on Sunday evening. It is suspected that the woman might have been murdered over a year-and-a-half ago. It came to light only when the owner visited the house along with local people as the tenant had not been responding for several months.

Speaking to TNIE ACP (north) Ch Srinivasa Rao said the police visited the spot after receiving a call from the house owner Nanduri Ramesh. “The body was found in a water drum. The murderer, whoever it is, packed the body in a plastic cover after killing the woman. He placed it in the drum and sealed it from all sides so that no foul smell could emanate from it. Five special police teams have been formed to investigate the case and they took one suspect into custody.”

According to police, Ramesh gave his house for rent to one Rishi in 2019. Rishi and his wife were staying in the house. However, Rishi’s wife left for her parents’ house at Seetampeta near Palakonda in February last year. Rishi, who accompanied his wife, returned in May last year and stayed for a couple of days. He did not turn up since then. The house owner, who grew suspicious, broke open the doors in the presence of local residents on Sunday only to find the skull and pulp of the woman’s body.

DCP Sumit Garuda told TNIE that Rishi was the suspect and he was being interrogated. “Identity of the deceased is yet to be established. There was no flesh, only bones,” he said. The entire skeleton including hair was intact, he said. There was no criminal background to the suspect. He used to work in a welding  shop owned by the house owner.

The house owner went to the house as rent was pending for several months as also electricity bills. According to preliminary investigation, the deceased was neither the suspect’s wife nor lover. The police teams are trying to gather evidence to establish the identity of the woman. However, since call data record was not available beyond one year, the police are finding it difficult to probe fast. The ACP said they were trying to get information with the help of friends and relatives of the suspect. Motive for the murder is not known yet.