Manali: Man kills woman hotel, flees with body in bag
A 23-year-old man was arrested in Manali, Himachal Pradesh for allegedly murdering a woman and attempting to dispose of her body by stuffing it into a bag at Hotel KD Villa. The accused has been identified as Vinod Kumar from Palwal district, Haryana. The victim was a 25-year-old woman from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Murder suspect attempts to flee, leaves victim's body behind
On May 13, Kumar and the victim checked into the hotel on Gompa Road for two days. Two days later, Kumar checked out alone with a heavy bag. Hotel staff noticed that the woman was missing and alerted the police about the suspicious bag. Overhearing this, Kumar abandoned the bag in a taxi and fled. Police reached the spot and discovered the woman's body inside the bag.
Suspect arrested, confesses to murder during interrogation
A search operation was launched immediately after the discovery of the woman's body, leading to Kumar's arrest later that night. Superintendent of Police (Kullu) Karthikeyan Gokulachandran stated that Vinod was arrested Wednesday night and is currently in police custody. During the initial interrogation, he confessed to killing the victim. The police are still investigating the possibility of sexual assault on the victim.
Investigation continues to uncover motive and relationship
Initial investigations revealed that Kumar and the woman had been in contact online for about three years and had previously visited Manali together. The victim's family members have been informed about her death, and her body has been sent for post-mortem investigation. A case of murder under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code has been registered at the Manali police station.
