A sack, a bike and a trail of blood: How a routine check revealed a murder in Bengal

It was supposed to be a routine, late-night checking operation along National Highway 18 in West Bengal’s Purulia. Police officers were stationed near the electrical substation at the edge of Balarampur town, stopping trucks, cars, and two-wheelers slicing through the dark.

At around 12.30 am, a red TVS Apache motorcycle came from the direction of Purulia town. Riding the bike was Amit Kumar Mahato, 21. Strapped across the pillion seat was a heavy, white plastic sack, the kind frequently used to carry agricultural produce across rural Bengal.

But as the police used a torch to check the bike, they spotted something unsettling: the sack wasn't tied with rope, but with USB charger cables and wires, and blood was dripping onto the road. Officers immediately ordered the rider to unfasten the package.

When the sack was cut open, the police personnel saw a blood-stained body of a young woman. A deep, brutal gash marked the left side of her neck. The rider didn't run. Interrogated at the spot, Amit admitted that the body was that of his girlfriend, 19-year-old Pritika Mahato.

He was taken into custody immediately. The police said both belonged to neighbouring villages — Amit from Hurumda and Pritika from Burda. The two met a few years ago at a coaching institute and had been in a relationship.

At the time of the incident, the police said they were living in paying guest (PG) accommodations near Tamna on the outskirts of Purulia town, as Amit was preparing for competitive exams and Pritika was training to be a nurse.

According to the police, Amit killed Pritika at his PG after an argument over ongoing disputes and mutual suspicion in their relationship. Amit allegedly attacked Pritika with a sharp weapon, slitting her neck, and strangled her with a towel.

“The PG has been cordoned off. The weapon used is likely to be there. The forensic team will visit and collect samples today. Prima facie, the motive is personal and due to relationship issues. A murder case has been registered,” Kumar Sunny Raj, Superintendent of Police, Purulia, told The Indian Express.

A senior Purulia police officer said they have recovered Pritika’s body along with the blood-stained sack, a towel, a bedsheet, a charger cable, and the motorcycle used in the crime. The body has been sent to Deben Mahata Government Medical College and Hospital in Purulia for a post-mortem examination.

“The arrested accused has been produced before the court. The investigation is ongoing under the supervision of higher authorities," the officer said. Investigators are currently working to recover the murder weapon, verify Amit's confession statements, and establish precisely where along the highway he intended to dump the body, and his motive behind the murder.

The police, reconstructing the sequence of events, said the plot unfolded within a two-hour window last Saturday. 4.30 pm: Pritika finishes lunch at her nursing mess and heads out. Shortly after, other residents at Amit’s mess leave to play football, leaving the residence completely empty.

Pritika arrives shortly after. 4.45 pm – 5.30 pm: An argument erupts between the two over ongoing disputes and mutual suspicion in their relationship. 5.30 pm: Amit allegedly attacks Pritika with a sharp weapon, slitting her neck.

To ensure she does not survive, he strangles her with a towel 6.30 pm: Amit stuffs her body into a plastic sack along with a bedsheet, a towel, and his phone charger cables. He secures the makeshift bundle onto his red motorcycle before setting off under the cover of night to dispose of the remains 12.30 am: Amit’s escape comes to a grinding halt at the Balarampur police check post, where officers catch him red-handed.