Mumbai: Maharashtra Police have arrested a 49-year-old man from Palghar district for the gruesome murder of his wife, whose severed head was found in a suitcase in a Virar jungle. The accused, Harish Hippargi, allegedly killed his wife, Utpala alias Soma Das, in January before disposing of her body in separate locations to cover up the crime.
The case came to light on March 14 when police discovered a human skull inside a travel bag near Pirkunda Dargah in Virar. During the investigation, crucial evidence led them to Hippargi, who was tracked down and arrested from Nalasopara late at night.
A Murder Rooted In Domestic Disputes
According to a Lokmat Times report, Hippargi lived with Utpala and their 22-year-old son. He worked in the imitation jewellery industry, while Utpala had a son from a previous marriage. According to police, frequent arguments over her son became a major source of conflict between the couple. On January 8, during one such heated argument, Hippargi allegedly strangled Utpala to death.
To hide his crime, he transported her body to Virar East, where he used a knife to behead her. He then disposed of the body in a sewer while placing the severed head in a travel bag, which he abandoned near Pirkunda Dargah.
Cracking The Case
For two months, Hippargi managed to evade suspicion. When his stepson inquired about Utpala’s whereabouts, he told him that she had gone to her hometown in West Bengal. However, the discovery of the skull set off an intensive investigation.
Inside the travel bag, police found a pouch from a jewellery store in Bengal’s 24 Parganas district. This clue helped them identify the victim and trace her phone records, revealing that her phone had been switched off for two months. Further investigation led them to Hippargi, who had been moving frequently and keeping his phone switched off to avoid detection.
After following multiple leads, police finally tracked him down to Rahmat Nagar, Nalasopara, and arrested him on March 14. As the murder probe continues, authorities are now focused on recovering the rest of Utpala’s remains while building a strong case against Hippargi.
