Palghar: Police on Tuesday recovered the body of a 51-year-old murder victim from a drain in Virar city of Palghar district following a four-hour search, five days after her severed head was found in a suitcase.
Police had already arrested the husband of the woman, identified as Utpala Hippargi, for beheading her.
The accused, Harish Hippargi, allegedly strangled Utpala to death during a heated exchange at their home on January 8.
He transported her body near Deshmukh Farm in Virar, where he beheaded her using a sickle. In an attempt to destroy evidence, he threw the headless body into a drain and packed the severed head inside a suitcase, which he later dumped near Pirkunda Dargah, police had said earlier.
A bullion wallet found at the scene played a crucial role in identifying the deceased.
After Harish's confession, Mandovi police, assisted by the fire brigade, launched a massive search operation on Tuesday morning in Virar to locate his wife's body, said senior police inspector Sanjay Hazare.
"After four hours of rigorous searching, police finally recovered Utpala's decomposed body. A panchnama was conducted, and the remains were sent for forensic examination and autopsy," he said.
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