Indian-origin dentist’s body found in suitcase

MELBOURNE: The body of an Indian-origin dentist in Australia was found with numerous stab wounds and stuffed into a suitcase in her car, days after she went missing, police said.

The man suspected of murdering Sydney dentist Preethi Reddy, 32, is another Indian-origin dentist and her ex-boyfriend Harsh Narde. He died after his BMW car collided with a truck on the New England Highway on Monday night, a day after Reddy went missing.

The head-on collision, around 340km from where Reddy’s body was found in Strachan Lane in Kingsford Street, is believed to have been deliberate, New South Wales police said on Wednesday.

The police spoke to Narde, who is in his 30s, as part of the missing persons investigation, before his death.

They said the investigation was still in its early stages.

Reddy was last seen waiting in line at a McDonald’s in George Street on Sunday, police said.

She was seen walking towards Market Street, where police said Reddy was staying at a hotel with a man known to her.

She was attending a dental conference in St Leonards over the weekend and last spoke to her family on Sunday.

Reddy may have gone to Narde’s hotel to reaffirm that their relationship was truly over, according to reports. Her friends say that after the break-up several years ago, she was firm that it was over and did not want to see Narde any more.

Investigators believe Narde didn’t accept it, and had attended the weekend conference in order to see her.