Image created using AI: TOI/TIL Denny

PATNA: In a chilling crime that has left residents of Biharsharif shaken, a 25-year-old man allegedly murdered his 20-year-old girlfriend on Tuesday, packed her body in a newly purchased blue colour suitcase, and travelled nearly 1 km in an e-rickshaw before dumping it near a drain in Nalanda district’s Sohsarai police station area.Shockingly, when police later returned to the crime scene on Wednesday after his confession, they found the body, but the suitcase had vanished-apparently stolen by someone who noticed the expensive-looking luggage . The victim, identified as Pooja Kumari, hailed from Onda village under Sare police station area. She was a nursing student at a private medical college in Bhagan Bigha and had been living in a rented accommodation in Biharsharif for over seven months.The accused, Amit Kumar, from Barbigha in Sheikhpura district, worked at BEd College at Malti in Biharsharif. He had been staying in a rented room in the town’s Kagzi locality for about seven months and knew Pooja for many years.

Cops: Someone took away new suitcase

According to the police, Amit slit Pooja’s throat with a sickle at his rented residence on Tuesday morning after she allegedly insisted on marriage, which angered him. He then packed her body into a brand new blue suitcase worth Rs 8,000, which he had purchased earlier that day from a local shop.Amit then hired an e-rickshaw and transported the suitcase-containing the body-to a drain located behind the Govt Girls’ High School in Sohsarai area, roughly 1 km away.“It appears that someone took away the suitcase, leaving the body behind,” a senior police official said. “We are investigating who might have stolen the suitcase,” he added.The crime came to light after Pooja’s family grew concerned on Tuesday when she failed to respond to calls. She had informed them earlier that morning that she was going to collect her exam uniform.When attempts to reach her failed, the family initially assumed she was resting. But later in the day, they filed a complaint with Biharsharif police station.Acting on a tip-off from the family, SHO Samrat Deepak detained Amit. During interrogation, Amit confessed to the murder. Police subsequently recovered the body from near the drain early Wednesday morning, along with the sickle used in the killing. Blood stains were also found in his rented room.Sadar SDPO Nurul Haq said Pooja was the eldest of five siblings. Her father is a govt schoolteacher.Police are now probing how the murder went unnoticed by the landlord and are trying to trace the e-rickshaw driver who transported the suitcase. The search is also on for the person who walked away with the suitcase, unaware of the grisly reality concealed within.