2 little girls went missing from village courtyard in Balaghat:Bodies surface near canal next morning; police find ‘red pouch’ with their photo hidden nearby

3 April 2022 — Around 85 kilometres from Balaghat district, in the quiet village of Tirodi, it was 10 in the morning. Everyone was busy with their daily chores. In the courtyard of one house, two little girls were playing. The elder sister was 6 years old, and the younger one was 3. Lost in their own world, both suddenly disappeared. The family searched for them, but they were nowhere to be found. The next day, the bodies of both girls were recovered from a canal. They had been murdered — and the younger sister had been sexually assaulted. How did the girls, who were playing in their courtyard, end up at the canal? Who was the last person to see them alive? What lay behind this murder mystery? Read Part 1 of Madhya Pradesh Crime Files… The girls were last seen playing in the courtyard until 10 a.m. They were reported missing four hours later. Their mother returned home from work in the fields around 2 p.m. and was alarmed by the eerie silence in the courtyard. When she asked her mother-in-law about the girls, she replied, “They were just playing here — I don’t know where they went.” That one sentence was enough to strike terror in any mother’s heart. She called out in every neighbour’s home, searched every lane, but there was no trace of them. As evening approached, the family’s fear deepened. The girls’ father, who had gone to visit relatives, rushed back home upon hearing the news. The entire village joined in the search. As night fell, with torches in hand, the villagers combed through the nearby forest in desperation. Last seen with their uncle Around 7 p.m., when the search was still on, one villager came forward with information that completely changed the course of the case. He said he had seen both girls that morning, around 10 a.m., riding pillion on a motorcycle with their uncle — their tāu, Girdhari Sonwane — heading toward the dam. That revelation turned suspicion towards Girdhari, but he too had disappeared from the village. Everyone had the same question — why would an uncle take his nieces away like that? The chilling truth at the canal The night passed in dread. The police were informed immediately, and by morning, the grieving parents arrived at the station, pleading for help. Understanding the gravity of the case, police teams began searching. A dog squad was brought in, and the sniffer dog led them in the same direction mentioned by the villager. At the canal, the dog stopped at the edge. Hearts pounded as everyone peered into the water — and their worst fears came true. The body of the 6-year-old girl, dressed in a pink frock, floated lifelessly. Foam oozed from her mouth, and there was a deep wound on her head. Grief crushed the family, but one question remained — where was the younger child? The police and villagers searched further along the canal, and about 1.5 kilometres away, they found the naked body of the 3-year-old girl. She too was dead. The murderous uncle and his confession The police launched a massive search for Girdhari Sonwane. Multiple teams were formed, and he was caught the next day along with his motorcycle. What remained was to uncover the reason behind such a heinous act. When police brought him to the crime scene, a shocking discovery awaited them. In the bushes near where the elder girl’s body was found, they recovered his hidden clothes — and a red cloth bundle. Inside it was a photo frame of the two sisters, marked with a tika. It hinted at some act of superstition or black magic. A planned killing Investigating officer Chain Singh Uike told the court that during interrogation, Girdhari broke down and confessed. He said he took the girls out under the pretext of a fun outing, but he had planned the murders in advance — even carrying a spare set of clothes in his bag. When he reached the dam, he stopped the bike. The girls began crying to go home. When the 6-year-old screamed louder, he picked up a large stone and struck her on the head. As she convulsed, he covered her mouth with a gamchha and suffocated her to death before throwing her body into deep water. He then stripped the 3-year-old and killed her too, throwing her body into the canal. Revenge and superstition The mother of the two girls revealed in her police and court statements what had driven Girdhari to such brutality. “He always said we’d wronged him and that he’d get back at us,” she said. “He used to complain that we got a larger share of the land, while he got less. That’s why he held a grudge.” She added another incident: “In January 2022, on Makar Sankranti, he was sitting in the courtyard. I served him laddoos and poha for breakfast. Since he wasn’t feeling well, he accused us of poisoning him through the food.” Forensic report exposes the horror FSI officer Gautam Meshram testified that the elder girl’s body was found 50 metres from the dam’s main gate, with her mouth and eyes open, foam coming from her nose and mouth, and a deep head wound. Dr Rajni Shende, who examined the younger girl’s body, made a horrifying revelation. She noted swelling and slight bleeding in the child’s private parts, though the membrane was found intact. Her report concluded that based on the body’s condition, the

In Part 2 of Madhya Pradesh Crime Files: possibility of sexual assault could not be ruled out. Why did the uncle take the two girls with him?Was he the real killer — or someone else?What did the court decide, and what did the magistrate remark?