Bengal Man Kills Wife, 4-Year-Old Daughter, Chops Bodies, Packs In Sacks, Then Dumps In River

The prime accused in the Attappadi double murder case has been arrested in West Bengal, days after the bodies of a 25-year-old woman and her four-year-old daughter were recovered from the Bhavani river in Kerala. Agali police apprehended the accused, identified as 36-year-old Provat Das, a native of West Bengal, on Tuesday.

According to police, Das confessed during interrogation to killing Pranitha, 25, and her daughter Johitha, 4. He reportedly claimed that Pranitha was not his wife and Johitha was not his daughter. Police had initially suspected that Das murdered the woman and child before fleeing Kerala.

Police tracked his movements and alerted authorities in West Bengal. A three-member team led by Agali sub-inspector H Harshad travelled to the state and, with the assistance of local police, managed to arrest Das.

Police said Das told investigators that he had known Pranitha for only around two months. Police are questioning to uncover the motive behind the killings.

The case came to light on Sunday morning after the bodies of Pranitha and Johitha were discovered stuffed inside sacks and dumped in the Bhavani river at Cheerakkadavu in Attappadi.

The postmortem examination revealed that Pranitha suffered a fatal head injury, while Johitha died by strangulation. Police suspect the bodies were subsequently dismembered before being disposed of in the river.

It is being examined whether Das acted alone or received assistance from others in carrying out the killings or disposing of the bodies. Police are expected to bring Das back to Kerala after the completion of the necessary legal procedures in West Bengal.