Overview

• Mushtaq Ali, a 31-year-old taxi driver, was arrested for allegedly murdering his live-in partner, Pooja Mandal, in November 2024.
• The arrest followed a confession in which Ali admitted to slitting Pooja’s throat and dumping her body in the Nadanna canal in Sitarganj, Uttarakhand.
• Police recovered a headless torso from the canal based on the suspect’s detailed confession, but the search for the missing head is ongoing.
• Pooja Mandal, who worked at a spa in Gurugram, confronted Ali after discovering his secret marriage, which reportedly led to the fatal altercation.
• The case highlights challenges in cross-state policing and delays in missing-person investigations, as Pooja’s disappearance was reported in December 2024.