The disappearance of a 21-year-old tribal college student in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district has sparked a mystery. The family claims that police cremated skeletal remains believed to be hers without allowing them for the last rites. However, the police assert that the identity of the deceased has not been scientifically confirmed.
Priyanka, a final-year B.A. student, went missing on June 24 after leaving Sidhi town for her home in Churhat. Her family alleged that when they tried to file a missing person’s complaint, they were directed to Sidhi Kotwali as she was last seen there. The report was officially filed on June 27.
On June 30, Churhat police discovered decomposed skeletal remains in the Koshta forest area. The body had decomposed entirely, leaving only a skeleton. Rita Tripathi, the in-charge of Churhat police station, mentioned that due to the advanced decomposition, the gender could not be determined, leading to the remains being sent for examination.
Despite the family identifying Priyanka through the clothes, shoes, and necklace found with the skeleton, the police did not release the body to them. The family claimed they were present at the cremation but were not allowed to perform the last rites. The police defended their actions, stating that without DNA analysis, the identity could not be confirmed.
The family’s insistence that the remains belong to Priyanka and the police’s stance on awaiting scientific confirmation have left the case enveloped in uncertainty. The police clarified that the referral to Sidhi Kotwali was made based on the family’s statement regarding Priyanka’s last known location.
Forensic and DNA examination reports are pending to establish the deceased’s identity and the circumstances of death. The conflicting views between the family and the police persist, adding layers of complexity to the unresolved case.
