Police in Ahmedabad's Vatva area demolished a house on Wednesday to recover bone, teeth, and hair fragments from an old drainage pit in a bid to solve a 34-year-old murder case. The remains are believed to belong to Farzana alias Shabnam, missing since 1992. The main suspect, Shamshuddin, is now presumed deceased.
In Ahmedabad's Vatva area, specifically Qutubnagar Lane Number 3, city police demolished an abandoned house on Wednesday to excavate an old drainage catchpit known locally as khaarkuva. Forensic Science Laboratory personnel sifted through the soil in the presence of an executive magistrate, recovering possible human bone fragments, teeth, and hair.
DCP Crime Ajit Rajian stated, "We learnt through our sources that the victim’s body had been clandestinely disposed of inside a domestic drainage well located within the accused’s residence." The case surfaced after the suspect's family reported hallucinations of the deceased, leading them to occult practices and prompting a Crime Branch inquiry.
The house belonged to Shamshuddin, the main suspect presumed dead, who had tried to sell it six years ago without success. Neighbors, including Shabbir Khan and Sairabanu from the adjoining property, had limited knowledge of the prior occupants and were asked to evacuate temporarily. The property was originally divided among heirs of Salyabibi.
FSL experts will first determine if the fragments are human or animal, male or female, before DNA analysis matched against samples from the victim's brother in Mumbai. No prior missing person's report was filed locally, but an FIR is expected soon.
