Mumbai: What was initially recorded as a case of suicide at the Saki naka Police Station in October 2024 has now turned into a court-monitored murder investigation, after the Bombay High Court flagged serious lapses in the early handling of the death of Geeta alias Narangi Chaudhary, 34.
Death in 2024
Geeta, a Sakinaka resident, was declared dead by hanging on October 14, 2024. Her family, however, consistently maintained that she was strangled and that visible injury marks were ignored by the police. More than a year later, four people, including her husband Sakaram Chaudhary, 35, have been arrested following the court’s intervention and forensic findings that questioned the suicide theory.
Geeta, a Sakinaka resident, was declared dead by hanging on October 14, 2024. Her family, however, consistently maintained that she was strangled and that visible injury marks were ignored by the police. More than a year later, four people, including her husband Sakaram Chaudhary, 35, have been arrested following the court’s intervention and forensic Dinesh Banaram, Geeta’s brother, told FPJ, “The police ignored the injury marks and registered only an Accidental Death Report. We repeatedly told them it was a murder, but the police ignored our claims because the accused's uncle, Rajaram Chaudhary, is allegedly close to some police personnel. He even showed us aphotograph with a senior officer on his mobile display and status.”
He added, “My sister’s husband, Sakaram, ran a hardware shop near the Sakinaka police station. After the court’s intervention, the police arrested four individuals.”
Zero FIR Filed
Dinesh further said the initial investigation was handled by Assistant Police Officer Vishwanath Dhavane, later transferred to Sapna Ksheersagar. Sunil Yadav is the Senior Police Inspector of Sakinaka Police Station. “Th ese officers initially refused to file an FIR, so we lodged a Zero FIR in Rajasthan, our native place. A second postmortem was later conducted at JJ Hospital,” he said.
The family questioned why the same police team continued to handle the case until the HC intervened. Dinesh alleged that the officers involved in the initial probe remain in service and that no departmental action has been taken. He said the DCP infor med him that an internal inqu iry into the lapses is underway. FPJ attempted to contact Datta Nalawade, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 10, but received no response.
No Action Yet
According to Geeta’s father, Achlaram Bhanaram, she appe ared cheerful on the day of the incident. By evening, the family was infor med that she had allegedly hanged herself. However, wh en they saw her body, they noticed distinct ligature marks and scratch injuries on her neck.
Her parents, residents of Desuri in Rajasthan, lodged a Zero FIR for murder there, which was transferred to Sakinaka on October 18, 2024.
Geeta’s body was exhumed three months later and sent to JJ Hospital for a second postmortem. A forensic team re portedly opined that the presence of two ligature marks indicated possible strangulation followed by hanging.
Social activist and criminal lawyer Abha Singh said the case reflected “a grave breakdown of criminal justice.”
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