Daijiworld Media Network - Gujarat (SR)
Patan, Gujarat, Jul 23: Local police are having a tough time investigating a case that happened 14 years ago in Balwa village. A woman who apparently died almost a decade and a half ago, was found to be alive by the cops.
As reported in India Today, Bhikhiben married Prakash Amritbhai Panchal 17 years ago and had a son from the wedlock. Couple of years after marriage, she started having an extra marital affair with Vijubha Rathod who also lived in the same village.
Bhikhiben and Vijubha Rathod decided to stay together and devised a master plan; they decided to kill another woman, dress her up in Bhikhiben's clothes and burn her body so that nobody can recognize her.
On february 6, 2005, Bhikhiben had an argument with her husband Prakash Amritbhai Panchal, over some issue and after the tiff, Bhikhiben went to sleep in her room. Later on when family members went to check, Bhikhiben was not in her room and a burnt body of a woman was found outside the house. Since the face was burnt and the woman was donning Bhikhiben's clothes, family members thought she had committed suicide. The local police also at that point of time had registered a case of suicide and closed the file.
Things took a new turn when Prakash Amritbhai Panchal's friend visited Mehsana in Gujarat for some work and was shocked when he spotted Bhikhiben after 14 years. He inquired with locals around the area and came to know that she had changed her identity was happily married and living with Vijubha.
Bhikhiben's whereabouts were immediately reported to the police and she was arrested with her new husband Vijubha. Bhikhiben confessed to the police that she along with Vijubha and his friends had devised the plan to elope. Bhikhiben told the police that she, Vijubha and his friends had kidnapped a mentally challenged woman and murdered her. Then the three had put Bhikhiben's clothes on the dead woman and set her face on fire so that people could not recognise her. The police have also arrested few other people related to this case.