Palghar man kills wife, beheads her, stuffs skull in travel bag

The crime came to light two months after the incident when a skull was found inside a travel bag in Virar, according to a news agency PTI report.

The accused, Harish Hippargi, was arrested from Nalasopara East, on the outskirts of Mumbai, after investigators traced crucial evidence linking him to the murder.

What happened

According to police, Hippargi, who worked in the imitation jewellery industry, lived with his wife, Utpala (51), and their 22-year-old son. Frequent disputes took place between the couple, particularly over Utpala’s son from a previous marriage.

On January 8, during one such altercation, Hippargi allegedly strangled Utpala to death. In an attempt to cover up the crime, he transported her body to Virar East, where he severed her head using a machete.

The torso was dumped in a drain, while the severed head was stuffed into a travel bag and abandoned near Pirkunda Dargah, police said.

To mislead his son, the accused claimed Utpala had left for her hometown in West Bengal. However, the crime unfolded on Friday when authorities discovered the skull inside a travel bag in Virar.

Investigators found a pouch from a jewellery store in Bengal’s 24 Parganas district, which led them to Utpala’s name in the customer records.

Upon further probe, police found that Utpala’s phone had been switched off for two months. Hippargi, too, had gone into hiding, changing his residence and turning off his mobile number. After following multiple leads, police tracked him down to Rahmat Nagar in Nalasopara and arrested him late Friday night.

Authorities are now searching for Utpala’s torso, as investigations into the murder continue.