Discovery on the Tamil Nadu Express

Passengers aboard the Tamil Nadu Express, traveling from Chennai Central to New Delhi, alerted railway officials after noticing a foul smell emanating from a red suitcase in the general compartment. When police opened the suitcase at Agra Cantonment railway station, they found the decomposed, headless body of a woman. The date of the discovery is disputed among reports, with some saying it was found on August 5 and others saying August 6, but all agree the train had departed Chennai Central in early August.

The Agra Railway Police registered a case and began an investigation. A polythene bag bearing the word "Chennai" was found inside the suitcase, providing an early link to the city, according to a report by India Today. The body was sent for post-mortem examination.

Tracing the Suspects

Investigators examined CCTV footage from Chennai Central railway station, which showed a man and a woman carrying a similar trolley bag and boarding the Tamil Nadu Express. Reports vary on some details: Deccan Chronicle described them as a middle-aged man and woman who boarded the train, left the suitcase, and got down before departure. The New Indian Express and The Hindu reported they were seen on Platform 4 boarding the train, which had departed at around 10 p.m. on August 3. The pair then traveled to Guduvanchery, a suburb of Chennai, where they were traced to a rented house.

Police teams, led in part by Superintendent of Police P. Rajan, examined CCTV footage from numerous cameras. The number of recordings reviewed varies by report: Deccan Chronicle said more than 200 CCTV recordings were examined, while THE WEEK reported more than 350.

The house, located on Masjid Street according to Deccan Chronicle, but described as Masuthi Street by The Hindu and Mosque Street by The New Indian Express, was found locked when police arrived. Upon searching the premises, investigators found more body parts, some in a large vessel, according to The New Indian Express and The Hindu. Some reports, including India Today, alleged that the victim's body had been found hanging from the ceiling and that some remains were in a vessel used for cooking biryani. However, The New Indian Express reported that police denied reports of cooking body parts or preparing biryani.

Victim and Suspects Identified

The victim has been identified as Hayathun Nisha, a 38-year-old woman from Odisha who was working at a private firm and living in Guduvanchery, according to The New Indian Express and The Hindu. However, THE WEEK reported the victim as Haidul Nisha, hailing from Paramakudi in Tamil Nadu, a discrepancy that remains unresolved.

Police identified the suspects as Manik Uddin Laskar of Assam and Bhagabati Majhi of Odisha, based on CCTV footage released by police. According to The New Indian Express, Nisha had allegedly been in a relationship with Laskar, and her son, who objected to the relationship, had been living separately. After Nisha went missing, her son approached the police, and a missing case was registered.

Neighbors of the rented house in Guduvanchery told police that two women and a man from Odisha had been staying there, according to THE WEEK. The motive and manner of the murder have not been ascertained, as reported by THE WEEK.

Ongoing Investigation

Police have formed special teams to trace the suspects, who are on the run. THE WEEK reported that mobile phone signals were traced to Odisha, and three police teams were sent to the state. The remains recovered from the house were sent for forensic examination to establish whether they belong to Nisha and match those found in Agra.

A murder case has been registered, and the Guduvanchery police have taken up further investigation. The case may be transferred to Tamil Nadu police because the crime scene falls under the jurisdiction of the Tambaram City Police Commissionerate, according to Deccan Chronicle. The whereabouts of the victim's head remain unknown.

Police are also checking missing-person reports and technical evidence to further the investigation, as reported by India Today. The investigation is ongoing, with officers examining the premises and CCTV footage to establish the full sequence of events.