Mahalakshmi Murder case: Investigation debunks 'Love Jihad' claims, right-wingers left exposed
Bengaluru: The discovery of the dismembered body of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi in her rented home in Bengaluru's Vyalikaval neighborhood on September 21 had shocked the city, sparking a wave of misinformation and communal propaganda. Mahalakshmi, who worked at a costume outlet in Malleshwaram, was found inside a refrigerator at her residence in Vinayaka Nagar, where she had been living alone after separating from her husband.
Following the discovery, social media platforms and several right-wing commentators began circulating unverified claims, suggesting that a man named Ashraf was responsible for Mahalakshmi's murder. These claims quickly spiraled into communal narratives, with some alleging that the incident was a case of ‘Love Jihad’ — a conspiracy theory propagated by certain groups, claiming that Muslim men engage in relationships with Hindu women with the intent of converting and harming them.
The narrative gained traction when Aman Chopra, a journalist with News 18 India, drew comparisons between Mahalakshmi's murder and the infamous Shraddha Walkar case from Delhi in 2022. Walkar was murdered by her live-in partner Aftab Poonawalla, who dismembered her body and stored it in a refrigerator. Chopra suggested a pattern of Muslim men killing their Hindu partners, despite the lack of evidence linking Ashraf to Mahalakshmi's murder.
Chopra's coverage, which aired during a news bulletin, emphasized the name "Ashraf," insinuating that the alleged murderer shared a similar background with Poonawalla. He shared a clip of his broadcast on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Earlier it was Shraddha, this time it’s Mahalakshmi. The name has changed, the modus operandi is the same.” The narrative was further propagated by the official X handle of BJP Karnataka, which linked the incident to the state's law and order situation, blaming the Congress government’s alleged appeasement policies for the crime.
Radharamn Das, Vice-President and spokesperson of ISKCON Kolkata, also contributed to the misinformation, tweeting, “Another body of a Hindu girl found in Abdul’s fridge. This story will keep repeating, and those Hindu girls still with an Abdul will keep thinking, ‘My Abdul is different.’” His statement fueled communal sentiments, further deepening the communal divide.
Other right-wing influencers and platforms, including RSS mouthpiece Panchjanya, echoed similar claims, amplifying the narrative without verifying the facts. Influencers like @MrSinha_, Kajal Hindustani, Jaipur Dialogues, and lawyer Shashank Shekhar Jha, known for spreading communal propaganda, also joined in, focusing on the unsubstantiated involvement of Ashraf.
However, investigations by the Bengaluru Police have debunked these claims. According to police reports, Mahalakshmi was married to Hemant Das, a resident of Nelamangala who runs a mobile accessory shop. The couple had been married for six years and had a child together. However, due to marital issues, they had been living separately for nine months. After separating from Hemant, Mahalakshmi initially lived with her brother, Hukum Singh, and his wife. Following a dispute, her brother moved out, leaving Mahalakshmi to live alone.
The case took a significant turn when Mahalakshmi's estranged husband, Hemant, expressed suspicions about a man named Ashraf, who worked at a salon in Nelamangala. Hemant claimed that Mahalakshmi had been having an affair with Ashraf and had even filed a complaint against him a few months earlier at the Seshadripuram police station, accusing him of blackmail.
Despite these claims, the Bengaluru Police did not name Ashraf as the prime suspect. After interrogating him, the police found no substantial evidence linking him to the murder and subsequently released him. Instead, the police focused on another individual, identified as Muktirajan Pratap Ray, a colleague of Mahalakshmi.
On September 23, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda announced that the prime suspect in the case had been identified, but withheld further details as the suspect was still at large. The case took a tragic turn when the suspect, Muktirajan Pratap Ray, was found dead by suicide in Odisha on September 25. His body was discovered hanging from a tree in Bhuinpur village in Bhadrak district.
Ray, who had been absconding since the discovery of Mahalakshmi’s body, had confessed to the murder in a suicide note found at the scene. According to Bhadrak Superintendent of Police Varun Guntupalli, Ray had been evading arrest and took his own life out of fear of being apprehended for the murder.
Investigations revealed that Ray and Mahalakshmi had been colleagues since 2023 and had been missing from work since September 1. Police traced Ray’s whereabouts to West Bengal, where he reportedly contacted his brother and confessed to the crime. Following his confession, Ray fled to his native village in Odisha, where he ultimately ended his life.
The Bengaluru Police have confirmed that the murder of Mahalakshmi was not a case of ‘Love Jihad’ and that the key accused, Muktirajan Pratap Ray, was not a Muslim. The baseless allegations propagated by several journalists, right-wing influencers, and media platforms have been proven false.
Mahalakshmi murder case | Odisha | SP Bhadrak, Varun Guntupalli says, " A team of Bangalore Police had come here to probe the recent murder of a woman there. The team said that the prime accused belonged to Bhadrak. Before the team could apprehend the accused, Mukthirajan died by… pic.twitter.com/RpRqBqpYXb
— ANI (@ANI) September 26, 2024
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Rupee rises 10 paise to 92.41/USD; faces risks from rising global tensions
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee appreciated 10 paise to 92.41 against the US dollar in early trade on Friday, even as the USD/INR pair faces risks from rising global tensions, especially the US-Iran conflict.
Forex traders said the rupee is likely to see high volatility intra-day as the deadline for RBI's instructions to banks to curb their overnight positions to USD 100 million closes today.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 92.58 against the US dollar, then gained ground to touch 92.41 against the US dollar in initial trade, registering a gain of 10 paise over its previous close.
On Thursday, the rupee settled with a marginal gain of 3 paise at 92.51 against the US dollar.
"An estimated 80–85 per cent of these positions have already been unwound, which means the bulk of this supportive flow is now behind us. In simple terms, the cushion that held the rupee steady is beginning to thin, and this is where the story starts to shift," CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said.
Pabari further noted that looking ahead, the picture for the rupee appears to be changing. "With most of the NOP-related support now fading and global uncertainties still elevated, the scope for further strength seems limited. USDINR is likely to find a base in the 92.20–92.50 zone, with a gradual move higher towards 93.50–94.00 levels," he said.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was higher by 0.07 per cent at 98.69 as the safe-haven demand has come down after the ceasefire, but as the ceasefire is fragile, the US dollar is getting bids at lower levels.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.51 per cent at USD 96.44 per barrel in futures trade, as the ongoing uncertainty over the Strait of Hormuz opening is keeping the oil trade well bid.
Pabari further noted that just as domestic support begins to fade, the global backdrop is turning uneasy again. "The World Bank has flagged that India's growth for FY27, expected at 6.6 per cent, faces risks from rising global tensions, especially the Iran conflict," he said.
According to Pabari, India continues to have strong buffers in the form of forex reserves and a stable banking system, but pressure points are slowly beginning to build.
On the domestic equity market front, the stock markets witnessed a rebound in early trade. The 30-share Sensex jumped 630.08 points to 77,261.73, while the Nifty climbed 203.6 points to 23,978.70.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,711.19 crore on Thursday, according to exchange data.
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