Gwalior murder case shocked investigators and family:Stepfather allegedly strangled girl, then threw body into crocodile-infested river to conceal crime

Police in Gwalior have solved the murder of a 13-year-old schoolgirl who went missing seven days ago from the Sirol area. Investigators say the girl’s stepfather was responsible for her death and later attempted to disguise the crime as a suicide. According to police, the accused strangled the girl to death, staged a hanging using his wife’s saree, and later disposed of the body in the Sindh River in Bhind district. He allegedly believed crocodiles would consume the remains, ensuring that the truth behind her death would never emerge. When the body was eventually recovered, a significant portion had already been eaten by crocodiles, police said. Body recovered from Sindh river The girl’s body was recovered on the night of May 29 from a riverbank along the Sindh River in Mau town of Bhind district, following information provided by the accused stepfather. The body was found in a badly decomposed and mutilated condition. Initially, the stepfather told police that the girl had disappeared from home around 11 p.m. on May 24 and later returned and died by suicide. He claimed that, frightened by the situation, he removed the body and dumped it in the river. However, investigators found inconsistencies in his account from the very beginning. Forensic evidence contradicted father’s story Police conducted a forensic examination of the house and crime scene. Investigators said the scientific evidence did not match the version of events provided by the stepfather. As suspicion grew, police detained and questioned both the girl’s mother and stepfather separately. When confronted with forensic findings and other evidence, the accused, identified as Rajesh Jatav, allegedly confessed to killing the teenager. What happened on the night of the crime According to the investigation, the incident occurred on the night of May 24. The girl’s mother had gone to sleep around 9:30 p.m. along with her two younger daughters, while the victim was studying in a separate room. The stepfather was sleeping in the veranda of the house. Around 11 p.m., a power outage occurred. When the mother woke up, she could not find her daughter in the house. The parents searched for her outside and returned about 30 minutes later. They found the door locked from the inside, leading them to believe the girl had come back home. Police say the stepfather then climbed over the wall and entered the house. Anger led to fatal assault, police allege According to investigators, the stepfather found the girl inside the house and became angry. He allegedly slapped her and then strangled her to death. Police say he used his wife’s saree to create a noose and staged the scene to look like a suicide. Afterward, he opened the door from inside and informed family members that the girl had hanged herself. The 25-minute gap that raised suspicion A key element that drew investigators’ attention was the approximately 25 minutes the stepfather spent alone inside the house before opening the door. Police questioned whether it was possible for someone to commit murder, stage a hanging and leave the scene within that time frame. Forensic experts concluded that the sequence of events described by investigators could have occurred within those 25 minutes, strengthening suspicions against the accused. Subsequent questioning and forensic analysis ultimately led to the alleged confession. Body allegedly dumped to destroy evidence Police say the accused later transported the body to the Sindh River and threw it into the water. Investigators believe he expected crocodiles in the river to consume the remains, thereby destroying evidence and preventing the crime from being uncovered. When the body was recovered, parts of it had already been eaten by crocodiles. DNA test underway According to Sirol police, the accused has admitted to the crime and remains under interrogation. Authorities are also conducting DNA testing to conclusively establish that the body recovered from the Sindh River is that of the missing teenager. The investigation remains ongoing.