Forensic Probe Cracks Mizoram Murder Mystery: Deceased Pensioner Named Prime Accused

January 27, 2026, represents a landmark moment for the Mizoram Police and the evolving field of forensic science in Northeast India. The case began under a cloud of high-stakes uncertainty on December 1, 2025, when the 26-year-old pregnant woman vanished after a routine grocery run. The discovery of her remains nearly two weeks later at the Mizoram University campus turned a missing person search into a grim homicide investigation. Because the body was in an advanced state of decomposition when found, investigators could not rely on traditional visual identification or immediate medical examination. Instead, they leaned heavily on a multi-disciplinary forensic approach to reconstruct the final hours of the victim’s life and identify her killer.

The prime suspect, 62-year-old retired pensioner RL Peka, became the centre of the probe following a meticulous review of digital and physical trails. However, the case took a dramatic and tragic turn on December 16, 2025, when Peka jumped from his residence to his death before he could be formally interrogated. In many historical instances, the death of a sole suspect might have left a case “unsolved” in the eyes of the public. However, the forensic evidence gathered was so robust that it allowed the police to definitively name him as the perpetrator posthumously. The most critical piece of evidence was the DNA profiling conducted on biological traces found inside Peka’s vehicle. Despite the suspect’s efforts to sanitise the car, forensic teams recovered minute blood samples that matched the victim’s DNA with near certainty, proving she had been transported in his vehicle.

Beyond biological evidence, digital forensics provided the “why” behind the “how.” Analysts recovered a deleted image of a positive pregnancy test from Peka’s smartphone, dated weeks before the murder, which established a clear personal link and a potential motive. Furthermore, geofencing data and a frame-by-frame analysis of CCTV footage from the Mizoram University gates were tracked 

Peka’s car entered the campus on the day of the disappearance, where it remained stationary for over two hours near the site where the body was eventually found. By weaving together DNA matches, digital recovery, and surveillance data, the Mizoram Forensic Science Laboratory created a chain of custody that transcended the need for a confession. This case serves as a powerful reminder that even when a suspect evades the courtroom, the silent testimony of forensic evidence can still deliver the truth to the public.