24 Days, Multiple States And A Red Suitcase: Couple Finally Arrested In Gruesome Train Murder Case

A couple suspected of murdering 38-year-old Hayathun Nisha and dumping her dismembered remains in a red suitcase on the Tamil Nadu Express has been arrested in Manipur after 24 days on the run. Police traced the suspects through CCTV footage.

Couple arrested in Manipur in Tamil Nadu express suitcase murder

A couple suspected of murdering a 38-year-old woman whose dismembered body was found inside a red suitcase on the Tamil Nadu Express has been arrested in Manipur after remaining on the run for 24 days, police said.

Key accused arrested in the Guduvanchery murder case

* A woman's body was found chopped into pieces inside a suitcase on the Tamil Nadu Express.
* Manik Uddin Laskar and his wife, Bagapathi Maji, arrested as key accused.
* Both were arrested in Kashimpur, Jiribam District,… pic.twitter.com/V0ox9LKXSY

— Tamil Nadu Police (@tnpoliceoffl) August 29, 2026

Suitcase murder case: Couple nabbed in Manipur after pan-India hunt.

Accused : Manik Uddin Laskar (22), a native of Assam's Cachar district, and his wife Bhagabati Majhi (21) from Kendujhar district in Odisha

The crime came to light on August 5, when passengers onboard the… pic.twitter.com/gKWHjOqXXj

— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) August 30, 2026

The accused, identified as 22-year-old Manik Uddin Laskar from Assam's Cachar district and his wife, 21-year-old Bhagabati Majhi from Odisha's Kendujhar district, were arrested from Kashimpur in Manipur's Jiribam district on Saturday.

The arrests were made by a joint team of Manipur and Tamil Nadu Police following a multi-state search operation.

Body was found inside red suitcase on train

The case came to light earlier this month when passengers travelling in an unreserved compartment of the Tamil Nadu Express noticed a strong foul smell coming from an abandoned red suitcase.

After the train reached Agra Cantt railway station, Government Railway Police officials checked the bag and found decomposed and dismembered human remains inside.

The victim was later identified through forensic examination as Hayathun Nisha, 38, an Odisha native who had been living in Guduvanchery near Chennai and working for a private firm.

CCTV footage leads police to suspects

During the investigation, police examined CCTV footage from Chennai Central railway station and other locations.

The footage allegedly showed Laskar carrying the heavy red suitcase through the railway station, while his wife accompanied him.

Investigators later traced the couple's movements to Guduvanchery and searched a rented house linked to them. Police reportedly found more dismembered body parts stored inside a large cooking vessel at the property.

The case was initially registered as a missing-person complaint before murder charges were added following the discovery of the remains.

Couple fled after disposing of body

Police identified the couple as prime suspects, but they had allegedly gone into hiding soon after the body was disposed of.

A pan-India hunt was launched to trace them, eventually leading investigators to Kashimpur in Manipur's Jiribam district, where they were arrested after 24 days on the run.

A Manipur Police official said the accused were being handed over to the Station House Officer of Guduvanchery Police Station.

Accused to be taken to Tamil Nadu

The couple is expected to be produced before a local magistrate in Manipur before being taken to Tamil Nadu on a transit warrant.

Police are likely to question them in detail to establish the sequence of events and determine the motive behind the killing.

Investigators are also examining the evidence collected from Chennai, the railway station and the rented house as they continue to build the case.

The gruesome discovery of the red suitcase on the train had triggered a major investigation spanning several states. With the arrest of the couple, police are now expected to focus on uncovering what led to the murder of Hayathun Nisha and how her remains were allegedly transported hundreds of kilometres away from Chennai.

(With inputs from agencies)