Kiran Daudia murder
Ashwin Daudia, 50 had been charged with the murder of his ex-wife Facebook

A man has been charged with murdering his ex-wife Kiran Daudia, 46, before stuffing her body in a suitcase.

Ashwin Daudia, 50, of Lyme Road, is accused of killing the Next call centre worker and dumping her remains in an alleyway near her home in Leicester.

Remanding Daudia in custody, the magistrates told him: "You face an allegation that you murdered Kiran Daudia. You will remain in custody until the hearing tomorrow at the crown court."

The couple, who were married for 20 years, have two sons, and were in the process of selling the family home after their divorce.

Kiran was reported missing by one of her sons. The 46-year-old's remains were found dumped in an alleyway between two terraced homes in Evington, Leicester, on Tuesday (10 January) morning. A member of the public made the grisly discovery of the body which had been stuffed into a'large suitcase'.

Her family have spoken of their devastation following her tragic death. In a statement they said: "Kiran was a much loved mum, daughter, sister and auntie, and she will be deeply missed by us all. We are all in shock about her death and her family are all absolutely heartbroken'. We ask that our privacy be respected during this very difficult time."

Kiran Daudia murder
The remains of mother-of-two, Kiran Daudia, 46, were found in a suitcase Family handout

One local resident described the murder as "like something from a horror movie."

Describing Kiran as "a wonderful, beautiful person and a devoted mother to her boys." a schoolfriend told MailOnline: "They've arrested her ex-husband. They were married for years but they divorced in around 2015. She had started using her maiden name and was trying to get on with her life."

Parminder Singh, defending, said Daudia would be making a bail application which would be heard at Leicester Crown Court tomorrow. A plea hearing will be made by video link on 16 February.