Simple, Twisted and Drishyam: Cops exploring three theories behind disposal of Sana’s body

By Dheeraj Fartode

THE city police are still grappling with the disappearance of the dead body of Sana alias Heena Khan. As the exhaustive search operation, spanning over three weeks, yielded no results, police have expanded their search efforts across the Hiran and Narmada rivers. Now, the investigators are working in collaboration with experts to unravel the mystery surrounding disappearance of the dead body. Sana Khan, a 34-year-old functionary of the Bharatiya Janata Party's Minority Cell from Awasthi Nagar, was murdered during a confrontation with her husband-turned-foe, Pappu Sahu at Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh on August 2. The incident is believed to have occurred around 9 am, with Sana’s body allegedly being disposed of after 10.30 pm on the same date.

Pappu Sahu, with previous records of two murders, is aware of functioning of law enforcement agencies in murder cases. A cloud of doubt hovers over Pappu’s statements, as he provides varying accounts of the events in the murder. A police official privy to the investigation revealed that Pappu’s credibility is under scrutiny due to the conflicting information. As the crucial task of recovery of the dead body is still not accomplished, the police are working on three different theories. Theory I: The culprits’ account: According to Pappu’s initial account, Sana’s body was allegedly tossed into the Hiran river after her murder. If this statement holds true, one would expect the body to be discovered downstream or by residents living along the river banks. Despite extensive searches conducted by the Nagpur Police and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) in both Hiran and Narmada rivers, the body couldn’t be found. The police are focussing on the possibility of the body getting stuck at the river banks or decomposed. One more idea is that local wildlife, such as crocodiles, might have eaten the body.

Theory II: Body cut into pieces: A new theory suggests that Sana’s body might have been cut into pieces and scattered into the river. Investigators speculate that the body was at the house of Pappu for a long time (9.30 am to 10.30 pm). Pappu might have carried out the gruesome act of cutting it into pieces. This theory raises the possibility that various body parts, dispersed in the water, have decomposed unnoticed. As a result, the police face the challenge of retrieving these scattered remains. Theory III: The Drishyam mystery: Drawing from Pappu’s criminal history, his truthfulness is under scrutiny. Pappu’s statements to the police indicate that he tossed Sana’s body into the river while leaving her bag near the bridge. The question is: why didn’t he dispose of the bag in the same manner?

A police officer speculated that Pappu’s intention might have been to mislead investigators, attempting to create an impression that the body was thrown into the river. However, the bag’s presence near the river raises suspicion that Pappu was trying to portray body disposal in the river. In this theory, the police are suspecting more secret means of body disposal, such as burial or cremation, to eliminate any potential evidence. The police are working on these theories and trying to pinpoint some locations in Madhya Pradesh, based on the phone locations of the accused persons on August 2. It becomes a challenge for the cops to unravel the layers of manipulation created by Pappu and his

accomplices.