Body of missing dentist found

A 32-YEAR-OLD dentist of Indian origin in Australia, who went missing earlier this week, has been found murdered. Her body was found dumped in a suitcase in her abandoned car, police said.

Preethi Reddy’s family reported her missing on Sunday after she did not come home from a dental convention in St Leonards, a suburb of Sydney, CNN affiliate 7 News Australia reported.

According to the police, Reddy was murdered as her body bore several stab wounds.

The man suspected of killing her was her Indian-origin ex-boyfriend and dentist Harsh Narde. Police officials said the man died in a car crash on the New England Highway on Monday, a day after Reddy was reported missing.

They say the head-on collision, which occurred around 340km from where Reddy’s body was found, was a “deliberate act”. According to the police, they spoke to Narde as part of the missing persons investigation before his death.

Detective Superintendent Gavin Dengate told ABC News: “At this stage we know they met up in Sydney and now we’re looking at all the movements between these two.”

Preethi was captured on CCTV inside Mcdonald’s at the Strand Arcade in central Sydney about 2.15am on Sunday and appeared to leave alone.

On Tuesday, the police located her car parked on a street in Kingsford, south of the city centre. A search of the vehicle located Reddy’s body in a suitcase. She had been stabbed “numerous times”, they said.

“Further inquiries established that Preethi stayed at a hotel on Market Street, Sydney CBD, on Sunday with a man known to her.”

Reddy last spoke to her family at around 11am on Sunday, saying she planned to head home after having a late breakfast, say the police.

Glenbrook Dental Surgery, where Reddy had worked, said staff were

“in mourning” after news of her death. Numerous patients posted messages of condolences.