The body of a 24-year-old software professional, missing for the last nine days, was found just 200 metres from the Siruseri SIPCOT IT Park where she was working for a top IT organisation. The decomposed body was spotted by locals on Friday evening. After investigations the police identified her as B Uma Maheswari, a native of Attur in Salem and an employee of Tata Consultancy Services.
Uma Maheswari was last seen on February 13 when she left her office around 10.30 pm and chose not to use the shuttle bus service operated by her company to the nearest bus stop on the Old Mahabalipuram Road (OMR). The body was found in deserted land between the IT Park and the OMR, which the employees have to cross to reach the bus stop. “The body was spotted about 50 metres from the road. So, it is apparent that the assailants forcibly took her to the desolate area which is dimly lit during nighttime,” said a police officer.
From the decomposed state of the body, the police
believe that the woman was murdered on the same night she went missing. The motive behind the murder is yet to be unravelled. “She was stabbed in the stomach. We are not sure whether she was sexually assaulted before her death. She was wearing little jewelry, so the murder could not have been an attempt to rob her,” said a police officer. Sources said the face of the woman was found burnt as the assailants wanted to conceal her identity.
As she was killed on the night before Valentine’s Day, the police initially probed whether it was a soured
romantic relationship that claimed Uma Maheswari’s life. But they found that she was not into any such relationship.
“Uma Maheswari’s untimely demise has come as a terrible shock to all of us. She was well liked by her colleagues and was someone her team leader could depend on,” said a TCS spokesperson. A colleague said that on the fateful night, Uma Maheswari had called another colleague to check the procedure to book a drop service.
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