Close to two weeks after the body of a pregnant woman was found chopped up near Hyderabad's Botanical Gardens in Kondapur, the Cyberabad police said that they had achieved a major breakthrough.
Days ago, the police released a portrait of the victim and asked the public to come forward with any information.
The police, who analysed CCTV footage, said that they found a duo riding on a bike who appeared to be carrying a heavy bag. A woman was also said to be involved as she sat behind and held the bag, while a man was riding the vehicle.
The duo were caught on camera near Masjid Banda, on the road which leads to Gachibowli.
"We gathered clues showing that the murder took place in Siddique Nagar or Anjaiah Nagar, and from there, the body was dumped near Botanical Garden...At 3:42 am, they dumped the bags near Botanical garden. At 3.48 am, the bike was spotted on Masjid Banda Road before the suspects rode on to Gachibowli flyover. We suspect that they turned right at Khajaguda junction and disappeared from camera view,” an investigating official told The Hindu.
However, the police is yet to establish the identity of the accused, as the body was found dumped in several pieces.
“It’s not even possible for the relatives to identify her. The DNA of the woman and the foetus has been preserved as it could help in establishing the identity,” a police officer was quoted as saying.
The body was found at Sri Ram Nagar, next to Botanical Gardens, which is situated close to the city's IT hub.
A post-mortem examination revealed that the woman may have also been beaten before she was killed, as she had a fractured pelvis and a ruptured uterus, besides broken ribs.
The police later found that the victim visited Udupi hotel in Gachibowli on January 28, two days before her body was found, based on eye-witness accounts.
The woman’s portrait was prepared by experts from the Crime Investigation Department (CID), based on eye-witnesses who saw a woman in an advanced stage of pregnancy in the area.
The police announced a reward of Rs 1 lakh for any information on the accused.
Citizens with any details and clues can contact the Circle Inspector at 9499617127, the Sub-Inspector at 9491030375 or the ACP at 9491039175, the police said in a press release.