Actress murdered, dumped body after chopping into pieces; head and hand still missing

CHENNAI: The police have not yet been able to find the severed head of a prominent actress, who was murdered seven years ago. A woman's body parts were found wrapped in plastic bags in various parts of Tamil Nadu in January 2019. A severed hand and legs were found in one place, and bones and internal organs were recovered elsewhere. Her head and left hand are still missing.

The police then were not able to identify the person murdered. Despite examining 11,700 tons of garbage, the police did not get a clue. Later, a tattoo on the right hand found in a plastic bag turned out to be a turning point in the investigation. The tattoo was that of Sivaparvathy and a dragon. The investigation then reached to 37-year-old Tamil actress Sandhya. The police soon reached to Sandhya's killer. The killer was Balakrishnan, a filmmaker and Sandhya's husband.

The investigation was led by deputy commissioner Muthuswamy. The forensic team that examined the body parts confirmed that it was that of a woman. The police then investigated the women who had gone missing in recent times, but did not get any information. Despite giving news to the media, no information was found that would help in the case.

The police then decided to conduct further examination of the body parts themselves. The tattoo and bracelet on her hand became crucial. A woman then filed a missing complaint of her daughter Sandhya, a 37-year-old actress who lived in Chennai with her husband and children, at the Thoothukudi police station. Her complaint said that when she asked her husband Balakrishnan about Sandhya, he said that she had gone to Thoothukudi on January 19 and had not received any information since then.

The family then examined the body parts as directed by the police and identified the tattoo and jewelry on Sandhya's hand. The results of the DNA test were also positive.
Balakrishnan initially stood firm in what he had said. During subsequent interrogations, the police understood the contradictions in his statements. Balakrishnan later confessed to the crime. There were regular fights between the two. Balakrishnan suspected Sandhya of having extramarital affairs. A verbal dispute broke out between the two on the night of January 19, 2019. Balakrishnan then attacked Sandhya with an axe and chopped her body parts into pieces and abandoned them.

The two got married in 2000. There had been issues between the two for years. Sandhya had filed a complaint with the police against Balakrishnan for domestic violence in 2018.