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Girl's death: Police clueless still Wednesday, May 2, 2001

AHMEDABAD: It is ten days since Nidhi Shah's body was found on the Virar highway and still there is no clue as to who had murdered her and why.

Nidhi's family members firmly believe her fiance Puneet Sancheti is involved, but are unable to suggest a motive. "The Shahs may be concealing more than they are revealing," says Deputy Commissioner of Police V M Parghi.

"Right from April 16, when Nidhi went missing, they have been insisting that Puneet is behind the murder, but no one has hinted at a motive," says the officer, who appeared to be foxed by the family's role in the episode.

More intriguing is the fact that not a single photograph of the engagement ceremony is available with the family. "Such a major function in the family and no photographs; it is a little uncanny," he remarks.

But Puneet continues to remain a suspect and is now 'untraceable'.

The family feels "Nidhi had probably got to know something about her fiance during the course of her long telephonic conversations, which could have been detrimental to his interests".

Why did the killer choose the Mumbai highway for the job? Why didn't anybody from Puneet's family attend Nidhi's 'besna' on Monday? (they conveyed their condolence over phone) are some of the questions haunting the family.

Nidhi's closest friend Janvi, who she spent five hours with her on April 15, dates back her depression back to her engagement. She remembers that Nidhi rarely spoke about her family or Puneet.

"In the few references of him, she remarked that he was too ambitious and wanted to make a name for himself," recalls Janvi. But she was very possessive about him.

Asked if Nidhi was 'secretive', Janvi replies, "Now I think she was!"

The girl remembers vividly that on April 15, Nidhi was unusually happy. "She called me at 9.30 am and said that she would give me a treat, which was unusual, because she was never the 'going-out' type," remarks Janvi.

The girls went out for a bite and Nidhi stayed on at Janvi's place till 9.45 pm after which she went home. Janvi noticed nothing unusual except, "it was the first time that I saw her happy after her engagement".

Nidhi's other friend Rakhee who had spotted her walking briskly on the read near Kothawala flats on April 18 around 7 pm, remembers "she was tensed and in a tearing hurry".

Rakhee, who knew Nidhi from her company secretaryship course days, did not know that Nidhi was engaged and "if I had known that she was missing, I would have surely stopped her..."

At the Internet education centre where Nidhi spent a major part of her time, people remember her as an introvert, but a very 'normal' person. "She was very good at her work, but she would talk only if you talked to her," says a fellow student.

 

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