Woman Presumed Dead Returns After 18 Months, Four Arrested On Her Murder Charges Still Behind Bars
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Lalita revealed that a man named Shahrukh sold her for Rs 5 lakh to another man with the same name. The second man then took her to Rajasthan's Kota, where she stayed for 18 months.
Lalita Bai went missing in September 2023 (Credits: X)
A woman, who was presumed to be dead, returned home alive after 18 months, while the four men arrested on accusations of killing her remain in custody. The incident took place in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district.
Lalita Bai, 35, a resident of Navali village, went missing in September 2023. A missing persons report was filed following a complaint by her family at the Gandhi Sagar police station.
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A few days later, her relatives identified a body with its head crushed, and they performed the last rites, according to Lalita’s father. The officials also arrested four suspects in the case.
“After we had filed the missing person report, Thandla police informed us about the recovery of a woman’s body with her head crushed. We went there and identified it as the body of our daughter based on a tattoo and a black string tied around her leg. We performed the last rites as well," Lalita’s father, Nanuram Banchhada, was quoted as saying by PTI.
Meanwhile, Lalita revealed that she left home on her own with a man named Shahrukh and travelled to Bhanpura in September 2023. The man later sold her for Rs 5 lakh to another Shahrukh without her knowledge.
The man she was sold to then took her to Kota in Rajasthan, where Lalita stayed with him for nearly 18 months. However, she managed to escape when the opportunity arose and returned home.
“As soon as I got the opportunity, I ran away and came back. I don’t have a mobile phone, so I was unable to contact my family members," Lalita told police, as quoted by PTI.
The police have arrested four men who lured Lalita. Authorities have also informed the Thandla police station about the development, where the four men, previously arrested for killing her, are still in custody.
Officials have also launched an investigation to confirm the woman’s identity, soon after Lalita’s father informed them about the return of her daughter and took her to the police station.
“We will first conduct a medical examination and DNA test of the woman, and also record fresh statements from witnesses," Jhabua SP Padmavilochan Shukla told PTI.
Shukla added that only after a thorough investigation will the police be able to confirm whether the woman who appeared at the Gandhi Sagar police station earlier this month is indeed the same woman who was previously believed to have been murdered.
- Location :
Madhya Pradesh, India, India
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