A wave of shock and grief gripped Pauta village under Muffasil police station of Hazaribagh district following the recovery of three bodies from Dandaha River, ending a frantic four-day search for the three. The police have registered a case of kidnapping and murder against eight named suspects, including a local media person and a local women’s committee chairperson, people aware of the development said on Tuesday.
The deceased were identified as Wasifa Naz (21), her cousin Saniya Praveen (19), and their relative Mohd Adil (25).
According to the FIR filed by Wasid Ali, father of Wasifa, the trio left their home in Pauta on the evening of April 23 to pick mangoes from a nearby orchard. When they failed to return by nightfall, the family and villagers launched an extensive search but found no trace of them. A missing person’s report was subsequently filed at the Mufassil police station.
The search ended in tragedy on the afternoon of April 27, when locals spotted bodies floating in Dandaha river. Police reached the spot and recovered the bodies, which the grieving family members later identified.
In a detailed statement to the police, Wasid Ali alleged that the deaths resulted from a calculated conspiracy. He pointed to a disputed marriage proposal as the primary motive.
Ali said a marriage had been discussed between his son and one of the suspects, Ishrat Bano. However, the family later withdrew the proposal. Following this, Ali claims that on March 27, Ishrat, accompanied by local media person Mohd Sohail and women’s committee head Farzana Parveen, visited his home and allegedly threatened to “ruin” the family if the marriage did not proceed.
The complainant further alleged that he received a suspicious phone call from Delhi, where a relative was asked for ₹50,000 in exchange for the youths’ safe return—a call the suspects later claimed was a “joke.”
Hazaribagh SP Aman Kumar confirmed that an investigation was underway.
“We are investigating all angles, including the allegations of threats and the ransom call,” SP Kumar stated. “The bodies have been sent for post-mortem to determine the exact cause and timing of death.”
“No arrests have been made so far,” the SP confirmed.
Detailing the probe’s progress, SP Kumar noted that specialised units, including an FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team and a dog squad, were deployed to the site to gather evidence.
“After the primary investigation, it was observed that the water depth where the bodies were recovered is around 9 to 10 feet. Therefore, it is difficult to rule out the possibility of drowning,” Kumar said. He added that the police were carefully balancing the findings from the physical site with the specific allegations in the FIR to ensure a comprehensive investigation
