In two separate cases, Gujarat Police begins probe after suspicion raised over cause of death – days after last rites

Indian Express

3 days ago

Two simultaneous but separate investigations into the suspicious deaths of young people, an 18-year-old woman in Banaskantha and a 24-year-old man in Ahmedabad, are currently underway in Gujarat. In both cases, people close to the deceased have raised suspicion about the cause of death – several days after the last rites of the deceased were carried out.
While no breakthrough has been made yet in the Banaskantha case, in which the live-in partner of Chandrika Chaudhary (18) had accused her kin of killing her, in the case of 24-year-old Allarakha Abdulrashid Abdal in Ahmedabad, one person has been arrested.
In Chandrika's case, the fact that the body has been cremated, and that there is no video evidence of the crime, has made the task all the more challenging for the police.
However, in the Ahmedabad case, the CCTV footage of the deceased being involved in a brawl with a man proved to be a clincher for officers of Detection of Crime Branch (DCB) in Ahmedabad who are investigating the case.
An Accidental Death (AD) report was filed at Danilimda police station after Abdal was found lying unconscious on a street on June 15. He was later pronounced dead.
'Initially, the family buried the body without a post-mortem examination. However, the deceased's father later raised suspicions, prompting a deeper investigation,' according to a statement from the Crime Branch.
During inquiry, it was found that Abdal had been involved in a fight with one Mohammad Shahrukh alias Kesar the same day, right before the time of the death.
'The breakthrough came from reviewing CCTV footage from the police's Smart City Nirbhaya cameras near the incident site. The footage clearly showed the two men in a brawl,' said the Crime Branch.
Confronted with this evidence, Kesar allegedly admitted to the fight. Based on the CCTV footage and the suspect's admission, authorities have concluded that the case involves suspected assault immediately before death. Legal action is now being pursued in the issue by Danilimda police station.
In the Banaskantha case, Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP), Danta division, Suman Nala is carrying out the probe.
On Friday, she spoke to the immediate family members of the deceased.
In his complaint, the deceased woman's partner Haresh had stated that the duo had signed a 'formal agreement of live-in relationship' in Ahmedabad before leaving Gujarat. However, police along with the woman's kin traced the couple to Rajasthan. While Chandrika was handed over to her uncle, Haresh was arrested in an old Prohibition Act case.
After coming out of jail, Haresh filed a habeas corpus petition in the Gujarat High Court seeking that the woman be produced before the court. On June 25, just two days before the matter was set for hearing, Haresh learnt that Chandrika had died on the same day.