Purulia murder case: Pritika Mahato, sack transport and police checkpoint arrest

Why Purulia is trending

The Bengali term পুরুলিয়া spiked in India searches in September 2026 around a murder in Purulia district. The case centres on 21-year-old Pritika Mahato who was killed while staying in a mess to prepare for job examinations, and on the arrest of Amit Kumar Mahato after he tried to transport the body in a sack on a motorbike and was stopped at a police nakā in Balarampur.

Victim background and the alleged crime

Reports dated 14 Sep 2026 12:32 AM IST identify the victim as Pritika Mahato from Burda village in Baghmundi. She was living in a mess near Purulia city for exam preparation. According to her father’s complaint cited by ABP Ananda, Amit Mahato invited her to his mess room on Saturday evening around 7 pm and allegedly attacked her with a sharp weapon there.

The two are reported to be residents of Baghmundi with prior acquaintance. Police said the motive is under investigation and is described in early reporting as either a relationship dispute or another grudge, to be clarified after interrogation.

Flour sack, motorbike and the checkpoint stop

After the killing, the accused allegedly tried to conceal the body. Reporting notes he attempted to flee after 10 pm with the body tied in a sack on his bike. At a police checkpoint in Balarampur the bike was stopped on suspicion, the sack was opened and Pritika’s blood-stained body was found, leading to immediate arrest.

Interrogation details reported by Sangbad Pratidin describe the accused’s account of buying a flour sack from a local grocery shop to replace a smaller bag, tying the body with rope and a mobile charger cable, cleaning the room, and then leaving on the motorbike. These statements are allegations from police questioning and have not been independently verified.

An ABP Ananda report from 14 Sep 2026 notes: Purulia: পরিচিত এক তরুণীকে মেসে ডেকে এনে ধারালো অস্ত্র দিয়ে কুপিয়ে খুন করে এক যুবক.

Legal status and verification cautions

As reported in mid-September 2026, the accused was produced in Purulia district court on Sunday and remanded to nine days police custody while the forensic report on cause of death awaited completion. The court order and forensic findings from Purulia Government Medical College and Hospital are the key documents to confirm current custody and medical cause.

Cautions: the confession about a phone call from a ‘new boyfriend’ and the sequence of buying the sack and cleaning the room rely on the accused’s statements to police and should be treated as allegations until proven in court. The exact incident date should be cross-checked with the FIR filed at Balarampur police station.

Further coverage of the couple’s final conversation and the accused’s version is available via Sangbad Pratidin’s Purulia murder report.