Murder mystery ends with discovery of woman’s skeletal remains after 13 months

By Sumesh Rajan | March 02, 2025

The Junagadh police in Gujarat state (India) have cracked a sensational murder case following the discovery of a woman's skeletal remains in a well, 13 months after she went missing. The prime suspect, Hardik Sukhadia (28), misled investigators for months but finally confessed when confronted with irrefutable evidence.

Case Background

The victim, Daya Savaliya (35), a resident of Rupavati village in Visavadar taluka of Junagadh district, was reported missing by her husband, Vallabh, on January 2, 2024. She left home carrying gold jewellery and cash worth ₹ 9.60 lakh but never returned. Her disappearance left her 11-year-old son without a mother, prompting an intensified police investigation.

Investigation and Deception

Police discovered that Daya had an extramarital affair with Hardik, a farmer from the same village. When questioned, Hardik claimed she had eloped with another man named Rahul. To avoid suspicion, he stopped using his mobile phone and even passed the Layer Voice Analysis (LVA) test at the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) in Gandhinagar. Investigators found it challenging to prove his involvement due to the absence of eyewitnesses and concrete evidence.

Breakthrough in the Case

Despite the lack of direct proof, the case was handed over to the Local Crime Branch (LCB), led by Inspector Jatin Patel. Special teams gathered technical and circumstantial evidence, which led them to interrogate Hardik again. When confronted with new findings, Hardik broke down and confessed to the murder.

Murder and Disposal of Evidence

Hardik admitted that he wanted to end his relationship with Daya, but she refused. On January 3, 2024, he took her to the outskirts of Hadala village in Amreli district, where he struck her head with stones, killing her. He then dumped her body into a well to destroy the evidence.

A day before the murder, Hardik had arranged for Daya to stay in a hotel in Kagvad village near Rajkot using his ex-wife's ID card. To mislead investigators, he also made fake calls using free calling apps, creating the illusion that Daya had left due to family disputes.

Discovery of Remains and Forensic Analysis

On February 27, 2025, police recovered the skeletal remains from a well with assistance from the Amreli fire brigade and FSL teams. The remains were sent to Bhavnagar for forensic examination.