Junagadh: A killing case having some similarities to the plot of movie ‘Drishyam’ was solved after Junagadh police recovered a woman’s skeletal remains from a well, 13 months after she went missing.
The prime suspect, Hardik Sukhadia (28), misled investigators for months, even passing a Layered Voice Analysis (LVA) test at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar. However, his deception fell apart when police confronted him with solid evidence.
Disappearance and Investigation
Daya Savaliya (35), a resident of Rupavati village in Visavadar taluka in Gujarat, went missing January 2, 2024, after leaving home with gold jewelry and Rs 9.60 lakh in cash. Her husband, Vallabh, filed a missing person complaint. A subsequent police search was launched.
Investigators soon discovered Daya’s alleged affair with Hardik, who claimed she had eloped with another man. To avoid suspicion, Hardik stopped using his phone. Despite the lack of direct evidence, police remained suspicious of him.
Breakthrough and confession
The case was handed over to the local crime branch led by Inspector Jatin Patel. After collecting crucial evidence, police interrogated Hardik again, leading to his confession.
On February 27, police recovered Daya’s skeletal remains from a well in Hadala village.
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Hardik, who wanted to end the relationship, lured Daya to Hadala January 3, 2024. He then “attacked her with stones before disposing of her body in a well.”A day prior, he had booked a hotel room under his ex-wife’s ID and placed misleading calls to her husband to cover his tracks, a source informed.
PNN & Agencies