Meerut: The body of a 17-year-old national-level female kabaddi player, who had been missing for over six weeks, was discovered in a drain on Monday. According to police, Anushka Pal was murdered by a fast-food vendor over an unpaid debt of approximately Rs 3,600. However, her brother claimed that she had borrowed the money to fill the Agniveer form as she aspired to join the Indian Army.
Disappearance and Investigation
Anushka, a resident of Chirodi village in Meerut district's Daurala area, had been missing since April 16. She was a Class 12 student at a private school. Following an intensive investigation, police apprehended Shyam Dhanak, 42, who later confessed to the crime. Acting on his disclosure, the victim's remains were recovered from a drain in Kankerkhera. Dhanak, who had operated a food stall for two years, allegedly killed her near a police outpost and disposed of the body in a drain just a few meters away.
Victim's Background
The teenager had moved to Meerut approximately two years ago to pursue professional kabaddi training and was living in rented accommodation in Shobhapur with her younger brother, Anmol Pal. Anushka was a regular customer at Dhanak's fast-food stall, which was located near her residence. Police stated that she had unpaid bills amounting to Rs 3,600. Notably, Dhanak had previously been accused in another murder case in the same area and was released on bail in 2024.
Anmol Pal, the victim's brother, said, "She had borrowed money from the vendor to fill the 'Agniveer form'. On April 15, she left home and did not return. We approached the police several times, but they never took the case seriously."
Police Statement
SP Vinayak Gopal Bhosale provided details of the crime: "The accused had been regularly demanding repayment. On the night of April 15, Dhanak called Anushka near his shop and again demanded his money. After a heated argument, he repeatedly hit the girl's head with a brick, causing her death. He then stuffed the body in a sack and dumped it into a drain before fleeing to Chandigarh."
When the family found her phone switched off, they filed a missing person complaint at Kankerkhera police station on April 28. Weeks later, after analyzing her call records, police identified the last person she had spoken to before disappearing. Dhanak was traced to Chandigarh. Although he initially denied involvement, he broke down after intense interrogation and confessed on May 31. An FIR was subsequently registered under BNS sections for murder and disappearance of evidence. Police have sent the remains for postmortem examination.
A Promising Athlete
Anushka was a promising athlete who had represented her state at national-level tournaments, including Sansad Khel Pratiyogita and Shanta Khel Mahotsav. Her father, Nempal, said, "Seeing her dedication towards the sport, we always believed that she would represent India on the global stage one day... We never thought her life would end this way." She had recently won kabaddi tournaments in Ghaziabad and Meerut.
(With inputs from Munish Kumar)
