Ahmedabad, May 9 (IANS) The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has solved a 34-year-old murder case through forensic investigation and DNA evidence, leading to the arrest of two persons accused in the killing of a woman who went missing from the Vatva area of the city in 1992, officials said on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as Farzana Radhanpuri.

According to police officials, the case was reopened after the Crime Branch received specific inputs suggesting that human remains had been buried in the Qutubnagar locality of Vatva.

Acting on the information, investigators carried out excavation work on April 29 at Survey No. 768, Plot No. 10, in the presence of executive magistrates, panch witnesses and officials of the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL).

Human skeletal remains were recovered from a depth of around 18 feet.

The remains were sent to the Department of Forensic Medicine at B.J. Medical College for post-mortem examination, while DNA samples were forwarded to the FSL centre in Meghaninagar.

Subsequent forensic analysis confirmed a match between the recovered remains and DNA samples collected from Farzana’s brother, thereby establishing the identity of the deceased.

Investigators said witness statements, local inquiries, physical evidence and scientific findings revealed that Farzana was married to Shamsuddin Khedawala.

Police alleged that disputes arose during the marriage over Farzana’s personal conduct, leading to prolonged domestic discord.

Investigators further alleged that Shamsuddin, along with his brother Iqbal Khedawala, Abdul Karim Javarawala and Saliyabibi Pathan, conspired to kill her.

According to police, Farzana was allegedly called to Saliyabibi’s residence in Qutubnagar in 1992, where she was strangulated to death.

Police said her body was buried at the same location in an attempt to conceal the crime and destroy evidence.

The case remained unsolved for more than three decades until the Crime Branch revisited old records and developed fresh leads.

A Crime Branch official told IANS: “The discovery of the crime only happened when a couple of people were discussing it during a casual gathering. Our informer heard about it and subsequently passed on the information. It was purely based on human input.”

Officers also travelled to Farzana’s native place in Dholka, where statements of family members and acquaintances were recorded to help reconstruct the sequence of events.

Police said one of the accused, Saliyabibi, died around 14 years ago, while another accused, Abdul Karim, is also deceased.

Legal proceedings have now been initiated against the surviving accused — Shamsuddin, 61, a resident of Jamalpur in Ahmedabad, and Iqbal, 63, a resident of Danilimda in Ahmedabad. Both have been arrested.

The case has been registered under IPC Sections 302, 201 and 120(B).

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Bharat Patel said: “This case was extremely challenging as it was 34 years old. However, the Crime Branch, using technical surveillance, old evidence, witness statements and DNA technology, solved the entire murder mystery.”

“Scientific investigation has made it possible to trace the perpetrators even in such an old case,” he added.

Further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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