AGARTALA, June 12: In a chilling case that has stunned Tripura, six people have been arrested after the body of a 28-year-old man was discovered hidden in a commercial freezer over 100 kilometers from his home. Police say the murder stemmed from a deadly love triangle involving the victim, the prime accused, and a woman from Agartala.

Shariful Islam, a resident of Agartala’s Chandrapur area, went missing on the night of June 8. After three days of frantic searching by his family, police found his body on June 11 in a freezer at a shop in Gandatwisa, Dhalai district. The shop is owned by the father of the main accused, Dr Dibakar Saha, a 28-year-old medical practitioner.

West Tripura Superintendent of Police Kiran Kumar stated that the motive behind the murder was romantic rivalry. Shariful had recently ended a relationship with a woman who had started dating Dr Saha. Police say Dr Saha viewed Shariful as a threat to his relationship and conspired to eliminate him.

According to investigators, Shariful was lured to a house in South Indranagar under the pretext of receiving a gift. There, he was allegedly strangled to death by Dr Saha, with the help of Nabanita Das and Animesh Yadav. The body was then stuffed into a large trolley bag and transported to Gandatwisa the next morning. In an effort to delay decomposition and cover up the crime, the body was hidden in a commercial freezer used to store ice cream.

In addition to Dr Saha, police have arrested Jaydip Das, Nabanita Das, and Animesh Yadav for their roles in the murder and disposal of the body. Dr Saha’s parents, Dipak and Debika Saha, were also arrested for allegedly helping to conceal the crime.

The case has triggered outrage across the state, with many expressing shock over the brutality and planning involved in the murder. Police said the investigation is ongoing and more details will be made public as the case progresses.