A 28-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her live-in partner in Maharashtra's Palghar after she filed a rape case against him, police said. The man's wife helped him kill the woman and then dispose off her body in a creek at Valsad in neighbouring Gujarat.
The police identified the woman as Naina Mahat who worked in the film industry as a make-up artist. She had been in a relationship with the accused, Manohar Shukla, for five years. Shukla used to work as a costume designer.
Preliminary investigation revealed that Naina was forcing Shukla to marry her. When he refused to do so, she filed a rape complaint against him, Assistant Commissioner of Police Padmaja Bade. Shukla allegedly asked her to withdraw the case and killed her when she refused.
After murdering her, 43-year-old Shukla sought his wife's help to stuff the body in a suitcase before it was dumped in the Valsad creek. The incident occurred between August 9.
Naina's family filed a missing person's complaint with the Naigaon police on August 12, an official said.
Her sister Jaya said that she could not reach Naina on August 12 as her phone was switched off. She then approached the police and filed a missing complaint.
According to the sister's complaint, Shukla was pressuring Naina to withdraw the complaints filed against him and if she did not do so, he allegedly threatened to kill her.
Shukla and his wife were arrested on Tuesday.
Notably, an abetment to suicide case was lodged against Shukla at another police station in Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar police limits, the official said without elaborating.
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