Missing young woman found in well after 18 days:Body recovered in 2 pieces; the 2013 murder mystery that shook Dewas

The streets of Bawadia Mohalla in Dewas were bustling as usual on Sept 30, 2013. Eighteen-year-old Nagina Sheikh left her home that morning, her 12th-grade books bag slung over her shoulder. Her mother called out from behind, “Come back soon.” Nagina turned, smiled, and said, “I’ll be back in just three hours.” This would be Nagina’s last conversation with her family. After that, she never returned. Eighteen days later, her body was recovered from a well. Who had murdered Nagina? What had happened to her? Today, in 5 chapters of Madhya Pradesh Crime Files Part-1, we recount the chilling story of the 2013 Dewas murder case of Nagina Sheikh. Nagina had left for her Richa Coaching Classes in Shankar Kanungo Colony. She was a promising student, working hard to build her future. Around 6 PM, when the class ended, she called her elder sister Haseena. Their conversation was normal. Nagina asked, “Sister, what vegetables should I bring?”Haseena replied, “Bring paneer.” Hours passed, but Nagina’s footsteps never reached home. Anxiety gripped the family. Around 8 PM, Haseena’s phone rang again. Nagina’s name flashed on the screen. Haseena picked up. “Hello…” The voice on the other end shattered her world. It was Nagina, panicked and trembling: “Call the police… call the police…” Before Haseena could ask anything, the call disconnected. A heavy silence descended. Nagina’s phone was now switched off. Every attempt to reach her failed. An unknown fear was rapidly turning into reality. The family searched every familiar place through the night, but found nothing. Exhausted and terrified, they reached Bawadia Police Station in Dewas the next morning, where they were redirected to Kotwali Police Station. Finally, a missing person report was filed. The police investigation began. Friends, classmates, and neighbours were questioned, but no one noticed anything unusual. Everyone described Nagina as calm and composed. Yet as the investigation deepened, hidden secrets within the family began to surface. Haseena’s statement shifted the investigation in a new direction. She revealed that her father, Adam Sheikh, had earlier forced Haseena into marriage in Shujalpur, where her in-laws tortured her for dowry. Their demand had been Rs 14 lakh or a concrete house. Due to the harassment, Haseena had returned to her parents’ home. Haseena said, “The three of us—mother, Nagina, and I—had saved Rs 12 lakh to improve our lives.” But this money became a source of conflict. Her father deposited the entire sum in her brother Irfan’s name. When Nagina demanded her share and suggested using it to buy a house, chaos erupted at home. Her father and brother refused outright, creating a tense atmosphere. Another secret gnawed at the Sheikh family: Nagina’s friendship. She was close to Vijendra alias Biju Lokhande, a 25-year-old MBA student from the neighbourhood. Biju often visited Nagina’s father’s grocery store, and their friendship blossomed there. Haseena stated, “Father and brother hated this friendship. They believed it would tarnish the family’s honour.” Nagina often suffered beatings and scoldings for spending time with Biju. She would cry quietly, enduring the punishment without protest. For the police, Biju now became the main suspect. Had Nagina run away with him? Or was there a darker secret behind his involvement? Biju was taken into custody and interrogated. He stated clearly: “I know Nagina, but we never had an affair. On the day she disappeared, I was in Shirdi.” He also mentioned that Haseena had called him to ask about Nagina, and he had helped search for her afterwards. Biju added, “Her father threatened me: ‘If I see you at the shop again, the consequences will be bad.’” His statement mixed truth with fear. Though released, he remained under suspicion. Days passed. Every morning, Haseena went to the police station hopeful; every evening, she returned home in despair. Seventeen days later, on October 18, 2013, Dewas police received a tip-off: suspicious sacks were floating in a well near the Indore Bypass MR-10 road. The police team reached the site. Inside the well were two large sacks, tightly tied and unusually heavy. When opened, horror struck everyone present. The murderers had tried everything to destroy evidence, filling the sacks with broken tiles and even adding carnivorous fish to the well. But fate intervened: the body swelled and floated to the surface, revealing the truth after 18 long days. Haseena was called for identification. Seeing her sister’s body in pieces, she broke down, tears streaming uncontrollably. She recognised Nagina by her kurta. The sister who had promised to bring paneer 18 days ago had returned—in pieces. This was no longer just a missing person case. It was a brutal murder. The pressing questions remained: