Bhopal, March 19 (IANS) In a bizarre case, a Madhya Pradesh woman presumed dead for one-and-a-half year has unexpectedly reappeared leaving family, neighbours and particularly the police of two districts — Mandsaur and Jhabua — utterly stunned.
Her family had already performed her last rites, and four individuals accused of her “alleged” murder are currently languishing in Thandla (330 km from Bhopal in Jhabua district) jail.
Now, the woman who had been living in Navali village, Mandsaur made her family struggle to believe she was alive, her father promptly took her to the Gandhi Sagar police, station Mandsaur to report her return.
Confirming the report, Taruna Bhardwaj, in-charge of Gandhi Sagar police station, told IANS that the woman revealed to the police that she had left with a man named Shahrukh from Bhanpura, Mandsaur.
“After two days, she said she was ‘handed over’ to another person coincidently named as Shahrukh in Kota. She had been living in Kota ever since but managed to escape and return home,” the police officer informed.
The woman provided identification documents, including her Aadhaar and voter identity cards, to confirm her identity, the officer said.
“We have handed over the matter to Thandla police station, Jhabua where her ‘murder’ was investigated,” said the police officer.
The woman, who has two children, was reunited with them after a year and a half, bringing immense joy to her family, also approached Thandla police station.
Her father, Ramesh, had identified a body in 2023 after seeing a video of a fatal truck accident.
The body bore a tattoo of her name and a black thread tied around the leg, leading him to believe it was his daughter.
The family performed her last rites, and four men were arrested for her alleged murder.
These men — Imran, Shahrukh, Sonu, and Ejaz — have been in jail ever since.
The police handed over the remains to the family, who performed the last rites and held traditional ceremonies.
“The woman hails from Navali village, Mandsaur; she came here with her family members and reported her reappearance. The accused, who are presently in jail, on the basis of her reappearance have filed an application in the local court. If court orders, the matter would be reinvestigated afresh. Higher authorities have been informed of the development,” a senior police officer from Thandla, Jhabua district, told IANS.
This interesting case raises numerous questions. Her account has also shed light on a potential human trafficking network, adding another layer of complexity to this already typical case.
–IANS
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