As the investigation dragged on and the police found no further leads, the father make a key revelation – that his son was conceived through IVF.
In a tragic story that emerged from Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, a 16-year-old boy was murdered in a case that remained unsolved for 17 months. The investigation faced numerous challenges and remained shrouded in mystery until recently.
The victim had been reported missing by his father, Laxman Patel, on March 29, 2023. Initially, the case was treated as a kidnapping, but despite extensive efforts, the police found no leads until May 14, 2023. A breakthrough came when authorities discovered a skeleton buried in a field. A second FIR was filed, and a DNA test was conducted to determine the identity of the remains. However, the DNA results did not match those of Laxman Patel and his wife, Jashoda Patel, leading to further complications.
As the investigation dragged on and the police found no further leads, Laxman Patel make a key revelation – that his son was conceived through IVF. This information completely changed the course of the case. Police then attempted to trace the donor from a clinic in Indore, where the boy was conceived years ago, but found no substantial information.
Undeterred, the police expanded their investigation by studying global cases related to IVF child identification. They then requested the victim’s personal belongings from the family, which included a hat, gloves, a whistle, and an ID card. Analysis of fibres from these items matched the DNA of the skeleton found earlier, marking a crucial turning point in the case.
The investigation faced further delays due to legal issues surrounding the release of the boy’s remains. Laxman Patel sought the skeleton for the last rites, but the police initially refused due to legal complications. However, after Patel appealed to the High Court, the court ruled in his favour. The skeleton was handed over to him on May 12, 2024.
The case saw renewed momentum after Laxman Patel and other relatives approached Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. With the chief minister’s intervention, the investigation accelerated. Police subsequently detained the victim’s cousin, Manvendra, who confessed to the murder. Manvendra admitted that he killed the boy over a property dispute. He had lured the victim with a promise of motorcycle lessons, then strangled him and buried the body in a nearby field.
