When 27-year-old Akanksha Sharma's father filed a missing complaint in Bankura district, West Bengal, all he might have prayed would be that his daughter should be safe somewhere in the US.

Akanksha had left home on June 31, 2016, claiming she had secured a job in the US. However, investigations following the missing complaint led the police to Bhopal. Akanksha had not left the country, but was in Bhopal's Saket Nagar with her live-in partner, 32-year-old Udayan Das. The two met on a social networking site.

As the police started questioning Das, they realised that they are dealing with a psychopath. Akanksha was not his only victim.

Ever since she left home, Akanksha's parents had been unable to contact her on phone and could keep in touch with her only through text messages. Sensing trouble, her father lodged the missing complaint on January 5 this year.

The police traced her messages to Madhya Pradesh and her passport details confirmed that she had never left the country. Das told the police that he had married Akanksha and later their relationship soured, as he suspected her of having an affair with another person. Das then strangulated her, the police said.Later, he placed her body in an iron trunk and constructed a concrete platform over it and covered it with a marble top. "Udayan said that he killed Akanksha in December last year, but looking at the decomposed body, we believe that she had been killed in August. He had probably wanted to hang her after killing her, but later changed his mind," said a senior police official.

On Saturday, he made a chilling confession about his other murders. "He confessed that around 2011, he had killed his father Vijendra Das, who was an employee of a reputed PSU, and mother Indrani, who was a senior police officer, and buried them at the lawn of their residence at Raipur in Chhattisgarh. The statements are subject to verification and a team of Bhopal police is on its way to Raipur," said Siddarth Bahuguna, SP, Bhopal (South).

The Bankura police have got a transit remand of six days for Udayan and a seven-member team left for Bhopal on Saturday. Pradeep Gupta, IG, Raipur range, Chhattisgarh, said that he had received oral information about Udayan, who had been booked under Section 302 of the IPC.Akanksha's body was recovered after hours of drilling. Her last rites were performed at Bhopal itself as the body was too decomposed. Police sources said that Udayan's room was littered with soiled clothes and utensils and the doors and windows were cello-taped to prevent any smell from emanating out. There was also a rope hanging from the ceiling.

Police think he is clearly mentally deranged, or else he would have at least tried to get rid of the rope. It was also found out that he used to worship the platform built on Akanksha's body and used to visit Raipur regularly to worship his parents' grave. Police are also likely to take the help of a psychiatrist in the investigation process.

Neighbours said that Udayan used to live a lavish life, drive expensive cars and also indulged in consuming narcotic substances.