Burnt body gets man, son arrested for daughter's murder. She then turns up alive
A headless burnt body, a murder charge, two men sent to jail and a woman believed dead — until she suddenly returned alive. The bizarre case has now triggered fresh questions over the police investigation across two states.
In a case that has left police scrambling for answers, a tribal woman from Madhya Pradesh who was declared dead in a murder investigation has resurfaced alive 22 days after her father and brother were jailed for allegedly killing her.
The shocking twist has blown apart a murder case built around a headless burnt body found in Maharashtra and raised serious questions over how investigators concluded that the remains belonged to the missing woman without definitive proof.
The woman, Shivani, had disappeared from Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district in April. Weeks later, her father Bapurao and brother Ajay landed in jail after Maharashtra Police claimed a charred, unidentified corpse recovered in Jalgaon Jamod was hers.
Then, just as the family’s world appeared shattered, Shivani returned alive.
FROM MISSING TO ‘MURDERED’
According to Khaknar police station in-charge Abhishek Jadhav, Shivani went missing from the Khaknar area on April 22.
Her family searched for her for days before filing a missing complaint on May 1.
During the investigation, police discovered that a local man named Arjun had also disappeared. His missing report was registered on May 9. Investigators later learnt that Shivani and Arjun had left together and were living elsewhere.
But before that truth emerged, the case had already taken a dramatic and disturbing turn.
BURNT, HEADLESS BODY FOUND IN MAHARASHTRA
While Shivani remained untraceable, Maharashtra Police recovered the headless and partially burnt body of a young woman in Jalgaon Jamod.
The body was so badly damaged that visual identification was impossible.
However, because Shivani’s missing person complaint had been uploaded on the CCTNS portal, Maharashtra Police contacted Madhya Pradesh Police and began matching the unidentified body to the missing woman.
Soon after, police allegedly concluded that the corpse was Shivani’s.
That conclusion changed everything.
FATHER, BROTHER SENT TO JAIL
Based on the assumption that Shivani had been murdered, police arrested her father Bapurao and brother Ajay.
The two were accused of killing Shivani and were sent to Buldhana jail, where they remained lodged for 22 days.
The arrests stunned the family, but the biggest shock was yet to come.
WOMAN RETURNS ALIVE
According to police, Shivani eventually learnt that her father and brother had been jailed for her “murder”.
That is when she contacted her relatives and revealed that she was alive.
Khaknar Police immediately traced Shivani and Arjun.
“I had gone with Arjun on April 24. Both of us are alive. I want my father and brother to be released from jail,” Shivani told police.
Her sudden return instantly collapsed the murder theory and turned the investigation into an extraordinary police embarrassment.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED THROUGH THUMB IMPRESSION
Police said Shivani’s identity was later verified through thumb impressions and government identity documents in front of relatives and witnesses.
After the verification process, Maharashtra Police took Shivani and Arjun to Jalgaon Jamod on Wednesday night for further proceedings.
Officials said legal steps to secure the release of Shivani’s father and brother from jail would begin soon.
NOW THE BIGGEST QUESTION — WHOSE BODY WAS IT?
With Shivani alive, investigators are now back to where the case started.
The headless burnt body that triggered the murder investigation still remains unidentified.
Police have now ordered a fresh probe to establish the identity of the woman whose remains were recovered in Maharashtra and determine how the investigation went so drastically wrong.
TI Abhishek Jadhav said the case would now be investigated afresh and all facts linked to the unidentified body would be re-examined.
In a case that has left police scrambling for answers, a tribal woman from Madhya Pradesh who was declared dead in a murder investigation has resurfaced alive 22 days after her father and brother were jailed for allegedly killing her.
The shocking twist has blown apart a murder case built around a headless burnt body found in Maharashtra and raised serious questions over how investigators concluded that the remains belonged to the missing woman without definitive proof.
The woman, Shivani, had disappeared from Madhya Pradesh’s Burhanpur district in April. Weeks later, her father Bapurao and brother Ajay landed in jail after Maharashtra Police claimed a charred, unidentified corpse recovered in Jalgaon Jamod was hers.
Then, just as the family’s world appeared shattered, Shivani returned alive.
FROM MISSING TO ‘MURDERED’
According to Khaknar police station in-charge Abhishek Jadhav, Shivani went missing from the Khaknar area on April 22.
Her family searched for her for days before filing a missing complaint on May 1.
During the investigation, police discovered that a local man named Arjun had also disappeared. His missing report was registered on May 9. Investigators later learnt that Shivani and Arjun had left together and were living elsewhere.
But before that truth emerged, the case had already taken a dramatic and disturbing turn.
BURNT, HEADLESS BODY FOUND IN MAHARASHTRA
While Shivani remained untraceable, Maharashtra Police recovered the headless and partially burnt body of a young woman in Jalgaon Jamod.
The body was so badly damaged that visual identification was impossible.
However, because Shivani’s missing person complaint had been uploaded on the CCTNS portal, Maharashtra Police contacted Madhya Pradesh Police and began matching the unidentified body to the missing woman.
Soon after, police allegedly concluded that the corpse was Shivani’s.
That conclusion changed everything.
FATHER, BROTHER SENT TO JAIL
Based on the assumption that Shivani had been murdered, police arrested her father Bapurao and brother Ajay.
The two were accused of killing Shivani and were sent to Buldhana jail, where they remained lodged for 22 days.
The arrests stunned the family, but the biggest shock was yet to come.
WOMAN RETURNS ALIVE
According to police, Shivani eventually learnt that her father and brother had been jailed for her “murder”.
That is when she contacted her relatives and revealed that she was alive.
Khaknar Police immediately traced Shivani and Arjun.
“I had gone with Arjun on April 24. Both of us are alive. I want my father and brother to be released from jail,” Shivani told police.
Her sudden return instantly collapsed the murder theory and turned the investigation into an extraordinary police embarrassment.
IDENTITY CONFIRMED THROUGH THUMB IMPRESSION
Police said Shivani’s identity was later verified through thumb impressions and government identity documents in front of relatives and witnesses.
After the verification process, Maharashtra Police took Shivani and Arjun to Jalgaon Jamod on Wednesday night for further proceedings.
Officials said legal steps to secure the release of Shivani’s father and brother from jail would begin soon.
NOW THE BIGGEST QUESTION — WHOSE BODY WAS IT?
With Shivani alive, investigators are now back to where the case started.
The headless burnt body that triggered the murder investigation still remains unidentified.
Police have now ordered a fresh probe to establish the identity of the woman whose remains were recovered in Maharashtra and determine how the investigation went so drastically wrong.
TI Abhishek Jadhav said the case would now be investigated afresh and all facts linked to the unidentified body would be re-examined.
