Bengaluru Clean-Up Uncovers Hidden Murder: Clothing Tag Helps Police Identify Woman & Trace Murderer

A routine civic clean-up operation in Bengaluru led to the discovery of a decomposed body, eventually helping police unravel the murder of a 28-year-old woman allegedly at the hands of her husband.

The Sampigehalli police arrested 32-year-old Sagar Chandra Rawat, a native of Bihar, in connection with the killing of his wife, Anasuya Behera, 28. Police allege that Rawat strangled Anasuya following a dispute and later disposed of her body at an abandoned plot in the area.

The couple, who had married after being in a relationship, had shifted to Bengaluru just a few months before the incident. Rawat was employed at a hotel, while Anasuya worked at a clothing store.

Couple Reportedly Argued Over Finances

Police said the couple had frequent disagreements, particularly over money. On August 11, another argument escalated, following which Rawat assaulted Anasuya and strangled her.

Rather than immediately disposing of the body, Rawat allegedly kept it inside their home for three days. He then wrapped the body in a sheet, placed it inside a bed and transported it to a vacant plot in Sampigehalli, where he abandoned it.

Police suspect Rawat returned to the location on multiple occasions in the days that followed to see if the body had been discovered.

The woman's remains were found on September 2, around three weeks after the murder, when workers began clearing the vacant plot. By then, the body had decomposed significantly, and stray dogs had reportedly damaged parts of it.

Clothing Tag Helps Police Identify Woman

Identifying the deceased initially proved difficult because of the condition of the body. Investigators, however, found a clothing tag that provided an important lead. Police traced the tag to a purchase made at a mall and used the information to establish the woman's identity as Anasuya.

Investigators subsequently turned their attention to her husband. Police found that Rawat had continued going to his hotel job normally despite his wife's disappearance. Enquiries at his workplace also reportedly revealed that the couple had been involved in frequent disputes.

Rawat was taken in for questioning, and police said he confessed to killing Anasuya during interrogation. The Sampigehalli police arrested Rawat within a week of recovering the body. He has since been sent to judicial custody.