Couple forced to strip, then pushed into gorge:Gang attacked them with stones when they survived

In the first part of Madhya Pradesh Crime Files, we reported how a notorious gang operating around tourist destinations targeted young couples visiting isolated spots. On November 6, 2017, Himanshu and his girlfriend, Shreya, who had gone from Mhow to explore Patalpani and Mehendikund, mysteriously disappeared. Despite extensive searches by police and their families, no trace of the couple was found for months. Nearly six months later, a dispute among criminals arrested in a minor gram theft case inside a jail led investigators to uncover the horrifying reality. Acting on information from an informant, police interrogated the accused and uncovered clues about a brutal crime committed in the forests near Mehendikund. A search operation in a nearby gorge led to the recovery of two skeletons buried beneath large rocks. The remains were later identified as Himanshu and Shreya. The discovery raised disturbing questions: What exactly happened that day at Mehendikund, and who was behind the gruesome double murder? Interrogation leads police to notorious criminal Police intensified questioning of Balram, who had been jailed in the gram theft case. Gradually, investigators pieced together the entire sequence of events. During the interrogation, one name repeatedly surfaced—Ishwar Bhil, a history-sheeter who had long been a headache for local police. Although linked to multiple criminal activities, he had remained elusive for years. Couple lured into a trap under the pretext of showing the way According to the investigation, Himanshu and Shreya were trying to find the route to Mehendikund on November 6, 2017, when they encountered Balram, Ishwar Bhil and their associates. After the couple asked for directions, the accused offered to help. Instead, they led them into a carefully planned trap, taking them to Nakodi Kund in the forests near Badiya—a remote area surrounded by dense jungle, hills and deep ravines with no one around to assist. It was there that the gang revealed its true intentions. Shreya recognised one of the accused The assailants threatened the couple and robbed them of cash, a gold chain, ATM cards and a cheque book. However, investigators said robbery was not their only motive. The accused allegedly forced the couple to remove their clothes. During the ordeal, Shreya recognised Ishwar Bhil and pleaded for mercy, saying she belonged to his village and considered him like a brother because of their village ties. Her plea did not stop the attackers. Pushed into a gorge, then killed with stones The gang allegedly pushed both victims into a deep gorge, causing serious injuries. When they survived the fall, the accused climbed down and repeatedly attacked them with stones, killing them on the spot. To hide the crime, the bodies were covered with large rocks. Ishwar Bhil also took away the couple’s mobile phones and scooter to eliminate evidence, which is why police failed to locate them for several months. Investigators believe many other couples were targeted As the investigation progressed, it became clear that the case was not limited to a double murder. According to retired DSP S.D. Mule, who was associated with the investigation, the accused admitted during questioning that they had targeted several young couples visiting Mehendikund and other isolated tourist spots. The gang allegedly assaulted and robbed victims before recording obscene videos of them, which were later used for blackmail. Network allegedly extended beyond Indore Investigators found that Ishwar Bhil’s criminal activities were not confined to the Mehendikund area. He allegedly faced accusations in multiple cases stretching from Indore to Goa. Police said he had formed a gang that specifically preyed on couples visiting picnic and tourist destinations. Members would first pretend to offer friendship or assistance before luring victims to secluded locations where they allegedly committed crimes including robbery, assault and sexual violence. Fear still lingers around the tourist spot Even today, warning boards can be seen at several locations around Patalpani, cautioning tourists against venturing toward Bagda near the railway tracks and certain caves, where incidents of robbery have been reported in the past. Eight years later, one convicted while alleged kingpin remains absconding Following the case’s breakthrough, police launched a search for the remaining accused and arrested two juveniles during the investigation. Court proceedings continued for nearly eight years. On June 6 this year, an Indore court convicted Balram Makwana of murdering Himanshu and Shreya and sentenced him to life imprisonment. Proceedings against the juvenile accused are still pending before the Juvenile Justice Court. However, the alleged mastermind of the gang, Ishwar Bhil, remains absconding.