A positive DNA match has been confirmed in a 1992 murder case in Ahmedabad’s Vatva area, leading to the initiation of an FIR registration process by the Crime Branch. The case involves the suspected murder of a woman identified as Farzana, also known as Shabnam, whose skeletal remains were discovered last month near Qutub Nagar in Vatva. The remains, including bone fragments, teeth, and hair, were found buried in an abandoned property after an excavation by the Crime Branch and forensic teams.
Farzana, who had moved to Ahmedabad from Dholka following a failed first marriage, later married the main suspect, Shamshuddin Khedawala. Investigators believe that ongoing disputes between the couple may have led to a plot to kill her. Allegedly, she was strangled inside the house, and her body was clandestinely buried in an underground structure to hide the crime. Authorities suspect the involvement of the woman’s husband, his brother, and others in the crime, with some of the accused possibly deceased.
After the recovery of the remains, officials collected DNA samples from Farzana’s family members in Mumbai for forensic comparison. The formal filing of an FIR and arrests were pending scientific confirmation of the victim’s identity. The case resurfaced due to unusual information from the accused family members, who reported experiencing hallucinations and fear related to the woman’s death. This led to an investigation of the abandoned property and excavation work by the Crime Branch.
In a significant development, the prime suspect, previously believed to be deceased, was reportedly traced alive on the outskirts of Ahmedabad. Forensic experts noted that the remains were severely decomposed and calcified, posing challenges for DNA extraction. With the DNA match confirmed, the Crime Branch is set to escalate the murder investigation and take legal action in the decades-old case.
