On the evening of March 13, a group of children near Pirkunda Daragh, Virar, in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, discovered a disturbing scene. They noticed a foul smell emanating from a purple traveling bag and the severed head of a woman lying nearby in a secluded area. Shocked, the children quickly informed the Qazi of the Dargah, who contacted officers at the nearby Mandvi police station. Police arrived promptly to investigate.
Upon their arrival, they found no immediate clues to identify the victim; only the severed head, adorned with a bindi and long hair, remained, while the rest of her body was missing. An FIR was lodged against unknown individuals, with police suspecting a deliberate attempt to destroy evidence, as only the head, along with the bag and a white gunny sack, had been recovered.
Hours of investigation yielded little progress until officers examined the traveling bag and discovered a small jewelry pouch tucked away in a corner. This seemingly inconspicuous item contained contact information for a jewelry shop in Naihati, West Bengal, which became crucial for unraveling the victim’s identity and the alleged perpetrator’s whereabouts.
The Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police contacted the shop owner, who provided a list of out-of-town customers. One of the phone numbers traced to a Nalasopara address was found to be switched off. Collaborating with the local police in Naihati, the MBVV police gathered details about a woman named Utpala, also known as Soma Das, who frequently visited the shop. Her relatives revealed that she had been missing for nearly two months and was married, residing near Mumbai.
As the investigation progressed, the MBVV crime branch focused on Nalasopara, tracking the switched-off number to a man bought a scooter recently. The trail led police to its registration at the Vasai Regional Transport Office, where they found the scooter parked in a building in Nalasopara East. The owner, Harish Basavraj Hipparagi, 49, was identified as Utpala’s husband.
Police arrested Hipparagi on the night of March 14, just a day after the shocking discovery. He faces charges under sections 103 (1) for murder and 238 for evidence tampering, as outlined in the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
During interrogation, Hipparagi revealed tense dynamics in their marriage, including a confrontation over Utpala’s desire to keep her son’s last name from a previous marriage and her planned trip to her hometown. It’s alleged that in a moment of rage, Hipparagi strangled Utpala, concealed her body in a gunny bag, and transported it on his scooter to a remote area. He reportedly dismembered her body, discarding the torso in a drain and leaving the head in the suitcase found by the children weeks later.
Following his arrest, Hipparagi was remanded to the Mandavi police station for further investigation. On September 17, the case was transferred from the magistrate to the sessions court, with the trial yet to commence.
Original Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/solving-crime-jewellery-pouch-travel-bag-severed-head-vasai-virar-murder-10362726/
Category: Cities,Mumbai
Tags:
Publish Date: 2025-11-13 12:44:00
