Daijiworld Media Network - Nagaur
Nagaur, Mar 21: In a shocking incident in Rajasthan, a 75-year-old woman was brutally murdered and her body mutilated in Nagaur district, with police arresting her neighbour in connection with the crime.
The victim, identified as Nathi Devi Bawri (75), a resident of Paldi Kalan village, had stepped out of her house on the morning of March 16 to arrange fodder for her animals. According to her family, she was wearing gold and silver jewellery worth around Rs 7 lakh.
When she did not return by evening, family members began searching for her in the village and nearby fields. As the search continued through the night without success, concern grew among relatives and villagers.
On March 17, locals spotted a plastic sack in bushes near Pachranda village. Upon opening it, they discovered a mutilated body of an elderly woman, with the head and feet missing and jewellery removed. Police later confirmed that the throat and legs had been severed, indicating an attempt to prevent identification.
Investigators said the body had been cut into pieces, packed in sacks, and dumped in a deserted area.
Police teams, led by Nagaur SP Roshan Meena, launched an intensive probe, deploying forensic experts, dog squads, and drone units. With no eyewitnesses, officials relied on circumstantial and technical evidence.
A slipper recovered from near the spot became a key clue, leading investigators towards a local suspect. During the search, blood stains were found at a house in the village, and forensic analysis confirmed it as the crime scene.
Police also examined call records and location data of over 300 mobile numbers to track movements around the time of the incident.
On March 20, the police arrested Mukesh Bharti (38), a neighbour of the victim. Stolen jewellery and the suspected murder weapon, believed to be an axe or iron rod, were recovered from his possession.
According to police, the accused allegedly lured the woman to his house on the pretext of fodder, killed her, and later dismembered the body. He then packed the remains into three sacks and transported them in his Wagon R car before dumping them at different locations.
Officials said they are probing whether others were involved in the crime, given its brutality. While robbery appears to be the primary motive, police are also examining the possibility of a land dispute involving around 30 bigha.
Meanwhile, the victim’s family, many of whom depend on daily wage labour, staged a protest demanding justice and refused to perform the last rites until all body parts were recovered. Following further searches and recovery of additional remains, the funeral rituals were later conducted.
A meeting involving local public representatives was also held in Degana as tensions prevailed in the area.