Overview

• Kanpur police arrested Suraj Kumar Uttam and his friend Ashish Kumar after investigators alleged Suraj strangled his 20-year-old live-in partner, Akansha, on July 21.
• Officers say the accused packed the body in a black suitcase and carried it about 100 km by motorcycle to Chillaghat in Banda district before dumping it in the Yamuna.
• A photograph and selfie with the suitcase were recovered from Suraj’s phone, which police say he had posted as a WhatsApp status.
• Call-detail records and location data contradicted the suspects’ initial statements, and police allege Suraj used the victim’s phone to send misleading messages before discarding it.
• A coordinated search of the Yamuna across neighbouring districts is underway to find the suitcase and the victim’s remains, while the two accused remain in custody.