A 62-year-old man, who died last month, has been named the prime accused in a murder case in Mizoram's Aizawl district. Police said RL Peka is the prime accused in the murder of a 26-year-old woman, whose decomposed body was discovered near the Mizoram University campus last month.
According to a police statement issued on Tuesday, the case began on December 3, when John Sanghnuna of Aizawl's Tanhril area reported that his granddaughter, Marina Lalchhanchhuahi, had gone missing two days earlier after leaving home to buy groceries.
A missing person report was filed, and intensive searches were carried out with the help of local volunteers. On December 13, the Tanhril unit of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) alerted police that a suspected female body was found near the Mizoram University football ground.
The body, in a highly decomposed state, was later identified by Marina's mother. A post-mortem was conducted, and unnatural death was registered.
On December 16, police received information that Peka, a temporary resident of the Tanhril area, had died after jumping from his building.
Police started an investigation, and from CCTV footage, confirmed that Peka's vehicle entered the Mizoram University campus on December 1, the day Marina went missing, and remained there for over two hours.
Forensic analysis later matched the blood found in Peka's car to Marina. Bone fragments and a tooth recovered from the site were also confirmed as hers.
On January 17, police registered a murder case under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, naming Peka as the prime accused in Marina's murder.
