According to sources Parmanand Singh, the caretaker of the building, first got the whiff of a nauseating stench coming out of Sangeeta’s flat and informed Kotwali police station about it.

The other residents of the third floor also complained about the stench.

Flat-owners said that Sangeeta did not share a cordial relationship with the other residents and was known for picking up quarrels on pity issues. So, instead of knocking on her door, they went straightaway to the Kotwali police station to inform the police about the matter.

When a police team led by station house officer (SHO) Aman Kumar reached the spot they found the door of the flat unlocked. They then spotted nude and decomposed body of a woman beside a bed in one of the two rooms. There were several bloodstains on her body and on the floor. Police sources pointed out that the flat was pitch dark.

Patna City superintendent of police Kim said prima facie, it looks to be a case of rape and murder. The post-mortem report would make things clearer. The investigations have started.

Sangeeta was a divorcee. Her former husband Rajiv Pandey, a well-known criminal lawyer of the city, passed away a few years back.

The woman is survived by two sons. One of them is an advocate at Patna High Court. The other works in a private firm in Mumbai.

Manju Singh, the wife of the slain police officer, Anil Singh, and a relative of Sangeeta, said the deceased was not in contact with her family and relatives.

Police informed Sangeeta’s brother, Amratanshu, who arrived from Jamshedpur late in the evening.

The police suspect that Sangeeta was into some kind of a dubious activity. The entry register of the apartment revealed that several people, including young men, visited her frequently.

On June 18, she had the last visitor. He identified himself in the register as Rahul Raj of Boring Road. He came around 1:40 PM. The woman was not seen thereafter.