Eight-Month Mystery Ends with Arrest of Temple Priest in Junagadh Murder Case
The perplexing disappearance of a 65-year-old woman from a remote hamlet in Junagadh district, which had baffled investigators for eight long months, has finally been resolved with the arrest of the village temple priest. The case, involving a victim with no known enemies and no apparent motive for kidnapping, presented one of the most challenging investigations for local police in recent memory.
The Disappearance That Stumped Investigators
Sumri alias Mani Bariya vanished on June 7 after visiting the government hospital at Khamidana village to obtain an Ayushman card for her husband. The elderly couple, who had no children of their own, had informally adopted Sumri's niece Veji, whom they raised and later married off to a man from Karej village, approximately 5 kilometers away.
The investigation began when Sumri's son-in-law reported her missing at Keshod police station the day after her disappearance. Police faced immediate challenges: only a single CCTV camera in the village captured her image briefly, her mobile phone was switched off, and villagers provided no useful information. The case quickly reached a dead end.
A Life Interrupted by Medical Needs
The circumstances leading to Sumri's disappearance reveal a story of familial devotion. In June, Sumri and her husband Ramde had traveled to Karej village, where doctors diagnosed Ramde with prostate cancer and recommended surgery. Sumri returned alone to her village specifically to begin the Ayushman card process, leaving her husband in their adopted daughter's care.
"The victim was wearing about 150g of gold jewellery and was carrying a large amount of cash along with important documents," explained D B Kher, part of the investigation team. "She was sharp and did not trust villagers easily. Kidnapping seemed unlikely, as there were no screams reported and the family got no extortion calls."
The Investigation Breakthrough
The case was later taken over by inspector C V Nayak and sub-inspectors D B Kher, B D Mavadiya, G K Thakar and Girubha Vaghela. Police learned that due to her age, Sumri could not walk long distances without resting. After returning from the hospital, she had rested first at the house of a relative, Jiva Pithadiya.
Investigators determined she likely took a second rest near the accused's house, which had a veranda and lay on the raised path she would have had to cross to reach her home. This detail became crucial in focusing attention on Mahesh Vyas, the 30-year-old temple priest.
The Interrogation Strategy That Worked
Despite making Mahesh Vyas a prime suspect, police lacked concrete evidence for months. He repeatedly told investigators that he did not see Sumri that day. Officers questioned him multiple times but lacked sufficient grounds for custodial interrogation.
The breakthrough came during what appeared to be casual conversation. "We engaged him in casual conversation and tactfully mentioned that the victim had sat outside his house and that he had offered her water," explained Nilesh Jajadiya, inspector general of police, Junagadh range. "Vyas admitted this before realizing that his earlier statement contradicted it."
Rather than arresting him immediately, police continued careful questioning. "We assured him of help if he told the truth," added Jajadiya. Under pressure from his father, the accused eventually confessed to the crime.
The Gruesome Details Emerge
According to police, the accused admitted to killing Sumri, stuffing her body into a jute bag, and dumping it in a well on the outskirts of the village. The well was typically used to dispose of animal carcasses, making it an unlikely location for discovery.
Police searched the well for two days before finally recovering the decomposed body last week, bringing closure to the eight-month investigation.
The Alleged Sequence of Events
Investigators revealed disturbing details about the crime. According to their findings, the accused habitually watched pornographic material and did so before calling the victim into his house. As she entered, he allegedly attacked her from behind and gagged her. When she screamed, he strangled her with her choli and attempted to rape her.
Legal Proceedings Begin
Police arrested Mahesh Vyas on Saturday under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 103(1), 309(4), 62 and 238(a). The case highlights both the challenges of rural crime investigation and the persistence required to solve cases with minimal initial evidence.
The resolution brings some measure of justice for Sumri Bariya's family, though it cannot erase the trauma of her sudden disappearance and violent death. The investigation demonstrates how patient police work and strategic interrogation techniques can eventually uncover the truth, even in cases that initially seem unsolvable.
