Upon seeing baggage scanner at the terminus, he abandoned the suitcase with live-in partner’s body; had killed her in fit of rage after fight
After being nabbed by a crime branch team, accused Askar Barla was handed over to the Kurla police
The Mumbai police have claimed to have solved the case of the woman whose body was found in a suitcase near Kurla on Sunday, November 19. The police have found that the woman’s live-in partner allegedly killed her after a fight over his suspicions about her character on Saturday.
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The suitcase with the woman’s body was spotted by a passer-by on Sunday morning at a Metro construction site at CST Road, Kurla. The woman was estimated to be aged between 25 and 30 years. According to the post-mortem, the body was dumped just a few hours before its discovery. The Kurla police have filed a case under Sections 302 (murder) and 201 (disappearance of evidence) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Killer was caught while trying to flee to his hometown Odisha
Apart from the local police, crime branch units were also engaged in the case’s investigation. The woman had a rosary around her neck, which led the crime branch to a church in Dharavi. The woman’s pictures circulated in the area prompted a family to contact Crime Branch’s Unit XI. The woman was then identified as Pratima Powel Kispatta, 25, a native of Odisha. Kispatta’s sister told the police that she had been living with a man in Dharavi for two months.
The crime branch started tracking the man and received information that he was trying to flee the city. A team rushed to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and nabbed Askar Manoj Barla, 22. During preliminary questioning, Barla admitted that he killed Kispatta.
Met during lockdown
According to Barla, he and Kispatta met during the COVID-19-caused lockdown while returning to Odisha from Mumbai. A police officer told mid-day, “Kispatta and Barla were travelling in the same bus while returning to Odisha. They started talking and realised that they belonged to the same village. They stayed in touch while in Odisha and after returning to Mumbai. Two months ago, Kispatta moved in with Barla at his residence on MG Nagar Road, Dharavi. However, in just a few days, Barla started suspecting her character.”
Planned to flee with body
On the night of November 18, Barla and Kispatta got into an argument. “Barla suspected that Kispatta was having an affair with someone in the village,” said Raj Tilak Roshan, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) (detection). An enraged Barla strangulated Kispatta. When he calmed down and realised what he had done, he began planning the next step. “He noticed the suitcase he had at home. He stuffed Kispatta’s body in the suitcase and left home around midnight. He first thought of returning to Odisha with the bag and dumping it somewhere. However, upon reaching LTT, he saw the baggage scanner and dropped the idea,” a police officer said.
Barla then left LTT and hailed an autorickshaw. Around 2 am, while passing CST Road, Kurla, he saw barricades in the middle of the road. He asked the auto driver to stop, kept the bag behind a barricade and left. The bag was recovered by the police around 11.30 am on Sunday after some passers-by noticed it.
“Crime branch units started investigations without any clues in hand and worked hard day and night to nab the accused even as he was attempting to flee the city,” DCP Roshan said. Barla worked at a sweet shop in Sion. Kispatta also worked in the area as a domestic worker but left the job a month ago after a fight with her employer. Barla has been handed over to Kurla police for further legal processes.
Bodies found in the past
Similar cases were found in 2023, where dead bodies were discovered within the city; some were identified, and the accused apprehended. However, the dead body found at Worli remains unidentified and the case remains unsolved
Wadala case
Wadala police with the accused
On October 26, 2023, Shrikant Sonawale from Bombay Port Trust notified Wadala police about an unidentified burnt body found between gates 4 and 5. After registering an FIR, the police circulated the deceased woman’s photo, leading her family to identify her as Sugrabi Mulla, 75. Following diligent investigation, the police arrested one accused, Mohammad Sayeed, 27, who confessed to killing her out of frustration over failing to rob her jewellery.
Kandivli case
Nallah where Gambhir’s body was found
Kandivli police identified the body found near Country Club as Ashika Gambhir, a 43-year-old resident suffering from depression. Missing since July 6, she was receiving treatment and had informed her family she was going to the market but never returned. Her husband filed a complaint at Samta Nagar police station, resulting in an ADR being registered.
Worli case
On July 5, 2023, a woman’s body was found inside a gunny bag near the Worli Sea Face area. Four months later, the body remains unidentified, and the murder case remains unsolved. The body was dumped into the sea post-murder. Forensic experts estimated a 5-6 day gap between the murder and the body’s discovery. Facing difficulties in identification due to the condition of the face, police sought assistance from experts for facial reconstruction. A monetary reward of R25,000 was announced for any leads regarding the woman’s identity. While crime branch unit 3 investigated 12 missing women’s cases, the woman and her killer remain unidentified.
Mulund case
Police at the spot where the half-burnt body of a woman was found
On October 30, 2023, locals reported smoke coming from a public toilet in Mulund’s Vasant Garden, leading the police to discover an unidentified burnt female body in the washroom. Initially classified as an accidental death, further investigation revealed the woman’s identity as Snehal Bobde, 35. CCTV footage helped cops to confirm the woman is from Thane who allegedly intended to die by suicide after her dispute with a friend and husband.
Uttan case
On June 4, 2023, Naigaon police arrested two accused for allegedly murdering a woman whose headless body was found on Uttan Beach in a suitcase. Identified as Anjali Singh, 27, through a tattoo on her left hand, her husband Mintu confessed to the crime after interrogation. He admitted to dismembering the body with his brother’s help.
12 am
Time on Sunday Barla left home with the suitcase
11:30 am
Time on Sunday police recovered the suitcase
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