Young woman missing after leaving to see tableau:Her body found in forest after two days; burnt vehicle recovered nearby, police suspect brutal murder case

It was Dussehra night in Bhopal on October 15, 2021. The streets of Kolar area were alive with music, lights, and festive crowds. Families gathered around tableaux of Goddess Durga, while loudspeakers blared devotional songs. But inside Rajhans Colony, a different story was quietly unfolding — one that would soon shake the entire city. In a modest two-room house lived Naina alias Shikha Paswan, a young woman in her mid-twenties, known among friends for her cheerful nature and her determination to live life on her own terms. That evening, as her family prepared dinner, Naina’s phone began to ring repeatedly. The same name flashed on the screen again and again — a name that, days later, would dominate every page of the case file. She sat before her mirror, gently combing her long black hair, seemingly calm. Her roommate and close friend watched her with concern. “Where are you going so late?” she asked.
Naina smiled faintly and replied, Just meeting someone for a bit… I’ll be back soon. Her friend sensed unease. “Don’t go,” she pleaded. “You know he’s not the same anymore. His temper… his behavior…” But Naina simply nodded, grabbed her bag, and stepped out — unaware that this would be her last night alive. The last phone call According to the police call records, Naina received a call at 9:32 p.m. that night. The conversation lasted exactly three minutes and twenty-seven seconds. That was the last verified contact anyone had with her. After that call, she briefly spoke to her mother, who asked her to return home soon. But by 10:30 p.m., when Maya tried calling again, the phone was switched off. Hours passed. Her mother didn’t sleep that night, convinced that Naina had stayed at a friend’s house because of the festive celebrations. But when dawn broke and there was still no sign of her daughter, panic took over. The next morning, October 16, Maya Paswan reached the Kolar police station in tears. “Sahab, my daughter went to see the Jhanki and hasn’t come home. Her phone is off. Please find her.” The police registered a missing person’s report and began tracing her last known movements. At first, it seemed like a routine disappearance — but the next 48 hours would change everything. The burnt scooter behind People’s Mall On October 17, Bhopal police received information about a burnt scooter found near a deserted stretch behind People’s Mall, one of the city’s busiest areas. When officers reached the spot, they were met with a disturbing sight. The two-wheeler had been completely gutted by fire — its frame twisted, its tires melted, and its color unrecognizable. A strong smell of burnt plastic hung in the air. During the inspection, an officer spotted a half-burnt number plate a few feet away. That small piece of metal became the turning point in the case. Tracing the registration number, police found the scooter belonged to Naina Paswan. When they called the registered owner, a trembling male voice answered — it was her father. “That’s my daughter’s scooter,” he said. “She left home on it the day she went missing.” With that revelation, the case officially shifted from a missing-person inquiry to a possible case of abduction or foul play. The love story with a dark turn As investigators began piecing together Naina’s background, a picture of a young woman caught between love and fear emerged. Earlier that year, in March 2021, Naina had married Rajat Kaithwas, a local youth she had been in a relationship with for over two years. It was a love marriage, solemnized with the consent of both families. Friends described them as inseparable in the beginning. However, just a few months later, cracks began to appear.
Rajat, once affectionate and understanding, became increasingly possessive. He didn’t want Naina to continue her work at a beauty parlor. He wanted her to stay home. But Naina, independent and ambitious, refused to give up her career. This clash of beliefs soon turned their marriage into a battlefield. Naina’s friend Shweta told police, Rajat started doubting her. He checked her phone, accused her of lying, and even raised his hand on her. She had told me many times she was scared of him. Unable to bear the constant fights, Naina left her husband and returned to her parents’ home in Kolar. She had been living there for two months before the murder — and was, by all accounts, trying to start over. The discovery in the forest While Bhopal police searched for Naina, tragedy unfolded miles away in Budhni-Midghat, a forested area under Sehore district jurisdiction. Local villagers spotted a young woman’s body lying in a clearing near the road. They immediately informed the Budhni police station. When officers reached the site, they were confronted with horror. The body bore multiple injuries — deep wounds on the head and face, clear signs of being struck by a heavy object. The victim’s face had been disfigured beyond recognition. Police instantly registered a case under Section 302 (murder) and began contacting nearby stations for recent missing reports. The description — slim, medium height, long hair, wearing a kurti and leggings — matched Naina’s profile. When photos of the body were shown to her family, her mother collapsed. A tattoo on the woman’s right hand read “Om” and “Rajat” — a heartbreaking confirmation. The young woman who had stepped out to see a festive tableau was now the victim of a cold-blooded murder. The trail of evidence: CCTV footage reveals a stranger As the investigation progressed, a new clue emerged from Salakanpur Temple, located near the forest where Naina’s body was found. CCTV footage from 1:43 a.m. to 2:15 a.m. on the night of October 15–16 revealed something chilling. In one clip, Naina could be seen walking toward the temple’s rear exit. She appeared calm but slightly hesitant — glancing around as if making sure no one was watching. But what caught the investigators’ attention was the man walking beside her. He wore a red shirt, blue jeans, and had a saffron scarf around his neck. His body language was eerily composed, and his gaze remained fixed ahead. Police showed the footage to Naina’s family. Her brother instantly recognized her — but not the man beside her. The team began combing through phone records and call logs from that night, trying to match the timestamp of her last call with the identities of people nearby. Was the man in the footage Rajat? Or someone else entirely? Theories and suspicions The case had now become a puzzle of emotions, betrayal, and vengeance. The burnt scooter indicated an attempt to destroy evidence — possibly to hide fingerprints or blood traces. Forensic experts later confirmed that the fire had been set intentionally, using petrol. Naina’s phone was still missing, adding to the mystery. Investigators speculated that the killer took it to prevent tracking. Police also learned that Rajat had repeatedly tried contacting Naina days before her death. Some messages hinted at reconciliation, others at anger. The tone kept shifting. Friends claimed that Naina had told them about “a final meeting” she planned with Rajat — to talk things out once and for all. Could that call at 9:32 p.m. have been from him? And if so, had that meeting ended in violence? Family’s despair and the community’s shock Back in Bhopal, grief consumed the Paswan household. Naina’s mother refused to eat for days. “She said she’d be back soon,” Maya whispered to reporters. “How could she leave me like this?” Neighbors gathered outside their home, many struggling to come to terms with the news. They remembered Naina as a kind, hardworking girl who ran a small beauty parlor to support her family. “She was always smiling,” said one neighbor. “No one could believe she would meet such an end.” Her friend Shweta sobbed, “She was trying to rebuild her life. She wanted to open her own salon one day. She just needed peace — not this.” Questions that still haunt the case As days passed, the case continued to baffle investigators. Each new clue opened another layer of mystery. Police teams from both Bhopal and Sehore districts joined forces. Interrogations began, call data was analyzed, and forensic teams revisited both the burnt vehicle site and the forest. Still, one haunting truth remained — the girl who left home with a smile had died a gruesome death, and the motive behind it was buried deep in betrayal and rage.