Decapitated body of slain model-cum-actress recovered

The body of Meenakshi Thapa, with its head severed, was found in the sewage tank of the house located at Georgetown, Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Shailesh Kumar Yadav told reporters here.

The recovery was effected following information provided by Preeti Elvin Soren and her paramour Amit Jaiswal, arrested by the Mumbai Police on charges of murder and brought here yesterday, he said.

The duo was interrogated for several hours jointly by the Mumbai and local police at the Georgetown Police Station following which the body was recovered from the sewage tank of the bungalow, the Additional SP said.

Preeti's father Naveen, who works as a cook in a renowned public school in the city, lives as a tenant in the house.

The accused claimed they had dumped the body in the tank a month ago after strangulating 26-year-old Meenakshi, and, therefore, the corpse was now "in a semi-decomposed state", Yadav said.

"We believe it to be Meenakshi Thapa's body on the basis of alleged killers' statement," the police officer said.

The body was likely to be sent for a DNA test to confirm whether it was that of the slain model-cum-actress, he said.