Forest officer arrested for murdering wife, two children; bodies found buried near his quarters

  

By Sumesh Rajan  | November 18, 2025

Bhavnagar, Gujarat, INDIA: The Bhavnagar Police on Monday November 17 arrested Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Sailesh Bachu Khambhla, 39, for the alleged murder of his wife and two minor children, whose bodies were found buried in a pit near his official residence in the Forest Colony on Talaja Road.

Superintendent of Police Nitesh Pandey, addressing a press conference on Monday morning, confirmed Khambhla’s arrest and detailed the gruesome sequence of events. According to police, Khambhla confessed to smothering his wife Nayana (42), his 13-year-old daughter, and nine-year-old son with a pillow on November 5, following a marital dispute.

“He killed his wife first, then his son, and finally his daughter,” Pandey said. “He placed stones on the bodies and lowered them into six-feet-deep, water-filled pits. He then covered the bodies with a door and a blanket before burying them with sand.”

The FIR was registered at Bharatnagar police station on November 16 based on a complaint filed by ASI Hiren Balu Sodhatar on behalf of the State. Khambhla has been booked under relevant BNS sections for murder, causing disappearance of evidence, and providing false information to a public servant.

Initial ‘Missing Persons’ Complaint Raised Suspicion

The investigation began after Khambhla himself filed a missing persons report on November 7. He claimed that his wife and children, who lived with his in-laws in Surat, had come to Bhavnagar for Diwali and had gone “missing” while he was on a field visit.

According to his statement, he returned from duty at 2 pm on November 5 and found the house empty. He further claimed that the colony’s security guard had seen Nayana and the children leaving in an autorickshaw — a statement the guard later denied during police questioning.

Khambhla’s unusual lack of concern for his family and inconsistencies in his account prompted deeper scrutiny, police officials said.

Bodies Recovered After Nearly Two Weeks

On November 16, police, accompanied by the Range Forest Officer (RFO) and forensic experts, excavated the pits near Khambhla’s residence and recovered all three bodies.

Following his confession, Khambhla was formally arrested and taken into custody.

Police said the killings appear to have been triggered by ongoing marital discord, though further investigation is underway.