"The torso of a middle-aged woman found dumped near the seashore in Wangaon village this morning. Her head, which must have been severed with a sharp weapon, was also lying nearby," Police Inspector Vijay F Shinde of Wangaon police station said.
The body was found by local residents, who alerted the police. It was sent for post-mortem.
Efforts are on to establish the identity of the victim. A manhunt has been launched to nab the unidentified accused.