Palghar, Maharashtra: Mandvi Police have recovered the body of the woman whose skull was found in a suitcase in Virar, bringing a gruesome murder case to a close. The body was retrieved from a drain near the railway tracks close to Deshmukh Farm House in Nalasopara East on Tuesday after a four-hour search operation.

On January 8, Harish Hippargi (49) brutally murdered his 51-year-old wife, Utpala Hippargi. He strangled her and then dismembered her body, discarding her head and torso in separate locations. It was only on March 14, when youths discovered her decomposed skull that the crime came to light. Harish had strangled her and then severed her head with a sickle, disposing of the torso in a drain and the head in a suitcase.

The skull of Utpala, a resident of Rehmat Nagar in Nalasopara, was discovered in bushes near Pirkunda Dargah in Virar. Mandvi Police and Crime Branch 3 conducted the investigation, identifying the woman through a jeweler's pouch found at the scene. Further technical investigation led to the arrest of her husband, Harish Hippargi. He confessed to killing his wife due to domestic disputes.

Mandvi Police, who are investigating the case, launched a search operation on Tuesday morning with the help of fire brigade personnel. Despite the large size of the drain, the body was recovered after approximately four hours. Harish Hippargi was also brought to the scene and identified the location. The body was in a decomposed state and has been sent for post-mortem examination, according to Senior Police Inspector Sanjay Hazare of Mandvi Police Station.

The Murder

Utpala Hippargi was originally from Naihati, West Bengal. She moved to Mumbai 25 years ago, leaving her husband and son behind. She worked in a bar where she met Harish Hippargi. They fell in love and got married. Harish started an imitation jewelry business after the bar closed, and they moved to Nalasopara. They have a 22-year-old son.

Domestic disputes between the couple escalated. Utpala would frequently visit her village and stay there for months at a time. She also threatened to leave Harish and take their son with her. On the night of January 8th, they had an argument, and Harish strangled her to death.