Indian Navy staff kills woman, stores body parts in fridge in Visakhapatnam

Visakhapatnam: An Indian Navy staff allegedly murdered a 31-year-old woman, dismembered her body, and attempted to destroy the evidence in Gajuwaka area here, police said on Monday.

According to the police, the accused procured a knife online, dismembered the body of P Mounika (31), stored some parts in a refrigerator, the legs in a trolley bag, while the head and hands were placed in a separate bag inside the house. He burnt the head and hands at a vacant place near Adavivaram on Sunday.

The accused,Chintada Ravindra, working as a petty officer in the Indian Navy at INS Dega, had been in contact with Mounika

since 2021 after meeting her through a dating application, police said.

“A Navy staff (Ravindra) on Sunday killed Mounika at his residence following an altercation and later dismembered the body, disposed of the parts at different locations,” said Vizag South Zone Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Y Srinivas Rao addressing a press conference.

Later, the accused carried petrol in a plastic can to a deserted place near Darapalem and burnt the head and hands, while also cleaning blood stains inside the house with water, he said.

Unable to dispose of the remaining body parts, he left them at his residence and later voluntarily surrendered before the police, said the ACP.

The two developed a relationship over time and frequently met at various

locations across Visakhapatnam, such as parks and theatres, police said.

According to the accused, the woman had allegedly taken Rs 3.5 lakh from him and threatened to reveal their relationship to his wife, leading to frequent disputes between them, the official said.

On the fateful day, the accused allegedly called her to his flat, where a heated argument broke out before he smothered her to death, the official added.

Further investigation revealed that the accused had continued the relationship even after his marriage in 2024 and resumed contact when his wife went to her parental home for delivery, leading to escalating differences and a pre-planned intent to eliminate the Mounika.

He (Ravindra) then brutally cut the body into multiple parts including head, hands, legs and torso, using a knife, and packed them separately to avoid detection.

Meanwhile, police registered a case under sections 103(1) and 238(a) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.

During interrogation, the accused confessed to the crime, following which police recovered the burnt remains from the identified location, said Rao.

An inquest was conducted and the body parts were sent to King George Hospital (KGH) for post-mortem, while Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) and Clue Team personnel collected physical and technical evidence from the scene.

The ACP said the accused was produced before a court and remanded.

The police also cautioned the public about the dangers of forming relationships with unknown persons through online dating platforms, advising youth and parents to remain vigilant.