Stains on clothes unmasked 8-year-old girl’s killer in Bhopal:Wife broke suspect’s web of deceit; testimony of victim’s sister sealed conviction

In the first part of Madhya Pradesh Crime Files, you read that on February 4, 2013, the body of an 8-year-old girl was found just 60 metres away from the then Home Minister’s residence in Bhopal. She had been raped and strangled. The biggest challenge for the police was identification, as the killer had crushed the girl’s face with a stone. The police linked the case to a missing person’s report and reached her parents. The first 24 hours of the investigation were disappointing — there was no trace of the killer. Then, a ray of hope appeared when a swing operator at the Dussehra Maidan fair claimed to recognise the girl. From there, the case took a decisive turn. Now read the rest of the story in Part 2… Police create a sketch — the killer’s face emerges Based on the swing operator’s statement, the police had a professional artist draw a sketch of the suspect. As soon as the sketch was shown to the girl’s parents, they were stunned. Trembling, they said, “This is Nand Kishore… Nand Kishore Tamboli. He lives nearby and often visits our house.” Now, the police had not just a sketch but also a name and a face. Retired DSP Subodh Tomar, who led the investigation to its conclusion, recalls, “As soon as we learnt the suspect’s name, our teams began searching for Nand Kishore with full force. Within a short time, one of our teams reported that a man matching his description was sitting at a liquor shop at Depo Chauraha.” Answered like a cunning criminal When Nand Kishore was confronted with the allegations, his response made even senior officers frown. Speaking with the confidence of a seasoned criminal, he said, “What’s wrong with drinking? The government itself has opened liquor shops. And last night, I was home with my wife.” He stuck to his story. The police tried to break him, but he remained unfazed. The burden of uncovering the truth and proving this horrific crime now rested on the investigators. Tomar said, “You can gauge the seriousness of the case by the speed of the forensic process. A constable would take a sample to the FSL, and the report would come back within two hours.” In this process, the clothes of the accused, Nand Kishore, were sent for forensic examination. The report gave the police a major lead — stains of a liquid, including semen, were found on his underwear. When questioned about this, Nand Kishore had a ready-made answer. Wife’s statement shattered his web of lies The police called Nand Kishore’s wife for questioning. Two female officers interrogated her in detail. She was unaware that her husband had been using her as an alibi. When asked, she spoke the truth: “No, we haven’t had any relations for the past two or three days.” That one statement from his wife completely exposed Nand Kishore’s lie. As the investigation moved forward, the picture became clearer. But the challenge remained — proving it legally. Statements made in police custody hold no value in court. So the police played their final and most crucial card. The semen samples from Nand Kishore’s clothes, his wife’s samples, and the samples collected from the victim’s body were all sent for DNA testing. The results arrived within hours — and they made everything crystal clear. Culprit broke down and confessed Now the truth was out. When the police confronted Nand Kishore with the DNA report and pressed him, he finally broke down. His face turned pale, and he confessed to his horrific crime. He revealed that he often visited the victim’s house — including on the evening of the incident. Younger sister’s testimony and justice in court Given the gravity of the crime, the court conducted a fast-track trial. Testimonies were recorded from everyone — from the swing operator to the victim’s parents and the investigating officer. The most critical testimony came from the victim’s 6-year-old younger sister. Since she was very young, an identification parade was held in court to confirm the accused’s identity. Four or five people were lined up, including Nand Kishore. When the little girl was brought in and asked who had taken her sister, she pointed her tiny finger straight at Nand Kishore without hesitation and said, “This uncle took my sister that day.” That innocent statement became the final nail in the coffin. Also read Part 1 of this story from the Madhya Pradesh Crime Files series – 8-year-old girl found dead near Home Minister’s bungalow: Face crushed, body gnawed by dogs; 2013 VVIP area murder case that baffled Bhopal police Read more