A Long Hunt Finally Ends
Fourteen months after a brutal murder rattled the Kalyanpura locality of Bhind district in Madhya Pradesh, police have finally arrested the key suspect in the case. Sushila Devpuria, wife of retired soldier Haridas Devpuria, was found dead on the rooftop of her home on the morning of April 15, 2025. The case had stumped investigators for over a year, but a relentless combination of informer inputs, digital surveillance and a dedicated Special Investigation Team eventually brought the perpetrators to light.
The Night of the Murder
On the night of April 14 and 15, 2025, Haridas Devpuria was asleep inside the house in Kalyanpura while his wife Sushila rested on the terrace above. When Haridas climbed up at around 4:30 in the morning, he found Sushila lying face down on an iron cot. She did not respond to his calls, and there was no movement when he tried to rouse her. She had already died. The scene around her told the rest of the story: the lock on the upper room had been broken open, the front gate of the house was ajar, and the contents of storage boxes were strewn across the floor. It soon emerged that unknown assailants had smothered Sushila and escaped after stealing her jewelry.
From the Police Station to the SP's Office
Haridas Devpuria filed a complaint at the local police station, and a multi-unit response team descended on the scene. Forensic specialists, a cyber unit, fingerprint experts and a dog squad all combed through the evidence. Despite gathering multiple clues, the identity of the killers remained elusive for months. Eventually a grieving Haridas walked into the SP's office in tears, pleading for justice. His appeal pushed the authorities to sharpen the investigation and step up the search.
SIT Examines Over 500 Leads and 100 CCTV Recordings
A Special Investigation Team was constituted to take the case forward. The SIT interrogated around 150 suspects and sifted through the technical records of more than 500 individuals. More than 100 CCTV recordings from the surrounding area were reviewed as part of the process. To generate public leads, the IG of Chambal Zone announced a reward of Rs 30,000 for information leading to the accused. The persistent effort eventually bore fruit through a combination of informer intelligence and digital evidence trails.
Accused Scouted the Target from His Girlfriend's Home
During questioning after his arrest, the accused confessed that he had not acted alone. He carried out the crime alongside six others, making a gang of seven in total. He disclosed that he had been staying at his girlfriend's residence in the area and used it as a base to conduct reconnaissance of the target household before the attack was carried out. The accused already carries a history of serious criminal cases against him and is considered a hardened offender by police.
Rs 2.5 Lakh in Jewelry Recovered, Six Accused Still at Large
Police recovered jewelry worth approximately Rs 2.5 lakh from the arrested accused, matching the items stolen from the Devpuria household. The search is now on for the remaining six members of the gang, and police say efforts to arrest them are actively underway.
