A tribal woman from Madhya Pradesh, reported missing and presumed murdered, has reappeared alive 22 days after her father and brother were imprisoned on suspicion of killing her. The development has left investigators facing difficult questions about how they identified a headless, burnt body found in Maharashtra as hers without conclusive evidence.
The woman, identified as Shivani, vanished from Burhanpur district in April. Her father Bapurao and brother Ajay were later detained after Maharashtra police linked a charred corpse discovered in Jalgaon Jamod to the missing person report filed in Madhya Pradesh.
Shivani had been absent since April 22. Her family lodged a missing complaint on May 1. During inquiries, police noted that another local resident, Arjun, had also disappeared around the same period. It later emerged that the pair had left together and were living elsewhere.
Before this became clear, Maharashtra police recovered the badly damaged remains of a young woman. Because Shivani’s details were on the CCTNS portal, officers matched the body to her report and concluded it was hers. This led to the arrests of her father and brother, who spent 22 days in Buldhana jail.
Once Shivani learned of the jailing, she contacted relatives to confirm she was alive. Police traced her and Arjun. She stated she had left with Arjun on April 24 and requested the release of her father and brother. Her identity was confirmed through thumb impressions and official documents before witnesses.
Maharashtra police have now taken Shivani and Arjun to Jalgaon Jamod for further action. Steps are underway to free the two men. Investigators have ordered a fresh examination to identify the remains and review how the earlier conclusion was reached.
