In a bizarre turn of events, occult rituals aimed at calming the restless spirit of a young woman led the Ahmedabad crime branch to an abandoned house in Qutubnagar, Vatva. Investigators excavated a septic tank at the property, believed to be haunted, and recovered a woman's teeth and bones.
Murder and Burial
Police said the woman, Farzana Radhanpuri, 40, from Mumbai, was allegedly killed by her boyfriend, Shamsuddin Khedawala, and buried in a well between July and August 1992. On a rainy night that year, a heated argument broke out between Farzana and Shamsuddin over equal rights to his property, as granted to his first wife. The argument turned deadly when Shamsuddin, along with accomplices Iqbal Khedawala and Abdul Javrawala, allegedly strangled her. The incident occurred at the house of another accomplice, Shaliyabiwi Pathan, in Qutubnagar.
After the murder, Javrawala allegedly summoned labourers to dig up the house's septic tank, placed the body inside, and sealed it with soil, sand, and cement. The accused then went their separate ways and resumed their lives.
Haunted House Legends
According to investigators, lingering guilt and fear manifested as claims that the victim's spirit haunted the premises. Family members of one of the accused reportedly spoke of apparitions and impending misfortune. Over the years, these beliefs deepened, particularly after the deaths of several individuals connected to the case, including the prime accused in 2015. Shamsuddin died due to cardiac arrest in 2015, Shaliyabiwi died a few years ago, and Javrawala also passed away. After that, the family left the house, which came to be known as 'bhoot bangla' (haunted house).
Police Investigation
The murmur around the bhoot bangla reached the ears of police, who suspected foul play. Cops kept a watch over the occult practices taking place in the house and activated informers around the suspects, who confirmed that a murder had taken place in 1992. The suspects were trying to get rid of the ghost who was killed and buried. After verifying the information, cops raided the house on Wednesday morning and began digging. Till late evening, they found five to six teeth and seven to eight bones of the victim, which have been sent for forensic analysis.
'The breakthrough came following a peculiar development within the suspect's family, where members reportedly began experiencing recurring hallucinations about the deceased, leading to heightened fear and psychological distress. To seek relief, they turned toward occult practices and remedies, during which critical information surfaced. Acting swiftly on this input, the crime branch initiated a focused inquiry that ultimately led to the discovery of the remains and the detection of the crime,' said a senior crime branch officer.
