Police have unravelled the enigmatic murder case of a woman whose decomposed remains were discovered partially buried along a seashore in Kutch. Shockingly, the culprits behind this heinous crime turned out to be none other than the victim’s 17-year-old daughter and her mother’s romantic partner. Here is what the Gujarat teen did.

Upon thorough investigation, it was revealed that the teenage girl was also involved romantically with the same man, and together they conspired to eliminate her mother, Laxmi Bhatt, who vehemently opposed their relationship.

Advertisement

The Mundra Marine police apprehended the minor, her lover Yogesh Jotiyana (37), and his associate Naran Jogi (35), all of whom hail from Madhapar village near Bhuj.

How did they discover it?

The grim discovery of the woman’s decaying corpse was made on July 13, in an isolated area near the seashore close to Hamirmora village, approximately 55 km from Madhapar. Unfortunately, the forensic postmortem did not provide any definitive information about the woman’s identity or the precise cause of her death. However, it was evident to the authorities that there was some foul play.

This perplexing case posed a significant challenge for the police. There was no missing persons report with any police station. The only certainty was that a murder had taken place.

To crack the case, the police embarked on an initiative to disseminate pamphlets describing the deceased woman’s appearance in GSRTC buses, private vehicles, villages, and various public locations, urging anyone with information to come forward.

An officer noted, “The location where the body was lying was far-off. It was familiar to very few individuals, such as local fishermen and cattle breeders. Consequently, there was a strong suspicion of involvement by a local resident.”

In their subsequent efforts, the police cultivated trust among individuals residing in nearby villages, enlisting them as informants to determine if any outsiders had recently visited the seashore or the village.

More about the Gujarat teen:

In due course, local residents informed the police that four individuals had arrived in Hamirmora roughly a month and a half prior to attend a social event. Armed with this information, the authorities obtained the date of the function and procured call detail records for that day, which revealed Jotiyana’s presence near the crime scene.

The police then traced Jotiyana to his address and detained him for questioning, during which he confessed to the murder.

Further investigation uncovered that the three perpetrators had hatched a plan to bring Lakshmi to the social function with the intention of killing her. On July 13, they arrived in Hamirmora, and as part of their scheme, they ventured to the seashore. It was here that Jotaniya brutally attacked Lakshmi with a blunt weapon, resulting in her demise. Subsequently, they buried her lifeless body in an isolated location and departed the scene.

Seven years in the past, Lakshmi entered into matrimony with Jitendra Bhatt, marking her second marriage. She, along with her sole daughter from her initial marriage, moved in with him in Madhapar. Approximately six months ago, Lakshmi became romantically involved with Jotiyana, a painter by trade. Despite the heated conflicts that ensued between Lakshmi and her husband once he became aware of their liaison, Jotiyana continued to frequent her residence in his absence.

In the interim, around three months back, the 17-year-old daughter began working alongside Jotiyana in painting jobs, and a mutual affection blossomed between them. Lakshmi eventually discovered their romantic involvement, leading to turbulent disputes with her daughter. These discordant circumstances ultimately laid the groundwork for the sinister plot to end her life, as reported by the police.