Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A chilling case of honour killing that shook Ratibad in November 2021 has been solved, thanks to an unexpected lead from a nuisance call complaint.
During Dipawali festivities, the forested outskirts of Samasgarh revealed a horrifying scene: a woman and her eight-month-old child were found dead on November 14, 2021. The bodies, in a decomposed state, bore signs of sexual assault and strangulation, with faces beyond recognition.
Police were initially clueless about the perpetrators. A random complaint of a nuisance call, however, provided a crucial breakthrough. The 25-year-old victim, a resident of Bilkisganj, had married against her family’s wishes nearly a year earlier, enraging her father, 55-year-old Kamal, who plotted to kill her.
According to investigation officer Sudhesh Tiwari, then in-charge of Ratibadh police, Kamal exploited the death of his granddaughter, who succumbed to pneumonia, to carry out his plan. In November 2021, Kamal, accompanied by his son, lured the woman and her deceased infant into the nearby Samasgarh forest under the pretext of burying the child.
Once in the woods, Kamal confronted his daughter, accused her of dishonouring the family, sexually assaulted her, and strangled her. He later told his son and elder daughter that he had killed her for dishonouring the family.
After the bodies were identified, the victim’s sister revealed the truth to police, leading to the arrest of Kamal and his son. Interrogations uncovered the full gruesome details of the crime.
Nuisance call leads to breakthrough
The investigation took an unexpected turn when the victim, while at her sister’s home, had used her neighbour Radheyshyam’s phone to call her husband. When she went missing and her phone was unanswered, her husband repeatedly called Radheyshyam’s number.
Radheyshyam lodged a complaint about the persistent calls, which prompted police to link the calls with the unidentified bodies. Radheyshyam recalled the victim had used his phone, helping police confirm identities and crack the case on November 17.
(Story by Staff Reporter)
