By Sagaya Fernando | June 24, 2026
Ahmedabad, Gujarat, INDIA: What was once believed to be an unidentified accidental drowning in the Sabarmati River has now been exposed as a cold-blooded murder nearly nine years later. In a major breakthrough, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested a 31-year-old man for allegedly murdering his wife in 2017 and attempting to conceal the crime by filing a false missing person's complaint.
The victim, identified as Komalben Mineshbhai Solanki, had disappeared under mysterious circumstances on June 25, 2017, during Ahmedabad's annual Rath Yatra celebrations. Her body was recovered from the Sabarmati River the following day within the jurisdiction of the Riverfront West Police Station. As her identity could not be established at the time, police registered the case as an accidental death and later cremated the body as unclaimed after preserving photographs.
The case remained unresolved for nearly a decade until the Ahmedabad Crime Branch received fresh intelligence suggesting that Komalben's death was not accidental but a planned murder allegedly committed by her husband, Minesh Dineshbhai Solanki.
According to investigators, Komalben and Minesh had married in early 2017. Police said the couple frequently argued over domestic issues, and within just four months of marriage, Minesh had allegedly decided to eliminate his wife.
Crime Branch officials revealed that on the day of the Rath Yatra, Minesh took Komalben around different parts of Ahmedabad under the pretext of an outing. Late that night, he allegedly brought her to the Sabarmati Riverfront and, while speaking with her near the riverbank, suddenly pushed her into the river, causing her death.
The breakthrough in the cold case came after investigators received information that Minesh had allegedly confessed to the murder while drinking with a friend. Sources said the accused had expressed fears that his deceased wife's "curse" would bring misfortune upon him, prompting renewed scrutiny of the long-forgotten case.
During the fresh investigation, Crime Branch officers revisited preserved records, photographs, technical evidence and witness accounts. A crucial eyewitness, who had allegedly seen Minesh throw Komalben into the river, was traced and questioned. The witness reportedly told investigators that he had remained silent for years after being threatened by the accused.
Investigators also succeeded in identifying the victim through photographs taken shortly after her body was recovered. Komalben's father later identified his daughter from the preserved images, finally linking the unidentified body found in the river to the woman reported missing from Kalupur.
Police further discovered that a day after the alleged murder, Minesh had approached Kalupur Police Station and lodged a missing person's complaint, claiming that his wife had disappeared. Investigators now believe the complaint was deliberately filed to mislead authorities and divert suspicion.
A senior Crime Branch official said that a combination of human intelligence, witness testimony and technical evidence helped establish the victim's identity and connect the crime to her husband.
Following the breakthrough, Minesh Solanki, currently residing at Aditya Flats in Hathijan, Ahmedabad, was arrested and handed over to Riverfront West Police Station for further legal proceedings.
Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history. He was previously booked in a cheating and criminal breach of trust case at Makarpura Police Station in Vadodara in 2019. Additional cases under the Gujarat Police Act were registered against him at Dariyapur Police Station in 2022 and again in 2025, while a Prohibition Act case was also registered against him at Gambhoi Police Station.
Investigators are now examining whether additional evidence can be recovered to further strengthen the prosecution's case.
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