For 17 years, one question has remained unanswered for the family of Sangeeta Marwadi: who was responsible for the rape and murder of the seven-year-old girl in Ahmedabad in 2009?
Now, an old piece of evidence may offer investigators a new path. During a fresh examination of evidence preserved from the case, Ahmedabad Crime Branch officers found four strands of hair on Sangeeta’s clothes. The strands have been sent for DNA analysis, and police have now identified a man from her neighbourhood as the prime suspect.
The DNA report, being prepared by an institute in Gandhinagar, could determine whether the long-running investigation has finally found its breakthrough.
A Case That Remained Unsolved for 17 Years
Sangeeta lived with her family in a settlement opposite Shreeji High School in Bapunagar.
One afternoon in February 2009, the seven-year-old went to a neighbour’s house to play. Later, she left to buy an ice gola from a vendor near an open ground close to her home.
When she did not return, her family began searching for her.
Three days later, her body was found in a common toilet at another government school near Shreeji High School. The investigation established that she had been raped and murdered.
The case was initially investigated by Bapunagar police, later transferred to CID (Crime) and eventually handed over to the Ahmedabad city crime branch.
Four Hair Strands Change the Direction of the Probe
The investigation took a new turn after the case was reopened in 2024.
As part of the fresh investigation, officers went back to the evidence collected in 2009, including Sangeeta’s clothes that had been preserved with different agencies.
During this examination, investigators found four strands of hair believed to be pubic hair. The strands were sent for DNA analysis.
Police had initially identified four suspects and later narrowed the investigation to two. One of those two men has now emerged as the prime suspect because of the hair evidence found on Sangeeta’s clothes.
However, the DNA report is still awaited. The results will be important in determining whether the suspect can be scientifically linked to the crime.
Suspect Lived Near Sangeeta
According to investigators, the man now under suspicion had been living in the same vicinity as Sangeeta.
Despite investigations by three agencies and several police officers over the years, he had remained outside the police net.
The fresh examination of the old evidence has now brought him back into focus.
Police are waiting for the DNA analysis to establish whether the hair found on Sangeeta’s clothes matches the suspect.
Earlier Investigation Took a Wrong Turn
The case had previously taken a different direction when police arrested a security guard in connection with the crime.
He was later found to be innocent.
Over the years, investigators questioned more than 150 people as they tried to determine what happened to Sangeeta and identify the person responsible.
Despite these efforts, the case remained unresolved.
Sangeeta’s Father Never Gave Up
Sangeeta’s father, Bhopaji Marwadi, continued to seek justice for his daughter long after the initial investigation failed to identify the culprit.
With the help of NGOs, he approached human rights commissions and courts and continued pursuing the case.
The family also approached the Prime Minister’s Office, requesting that the investigation be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
For the family, the search for answers continued even as the years passed.
DNA Report Could Be the Turning Point
The latest development has given investigators fresh hope.
The four hair strands preserved on Sangeeta’s clothes have survived as evidence for nearly two decades. Their DNA analysis could now establish whether they belong to the man police have identified as the prime suspect.
Until the report arrives, however, the suspect’s involvement remains unconfirmed.
After 17 years, investigators are hoping that a small piece of evidence preserved from the original investigation will finally help answer the question that has haunted Sangeeta’s family for years.
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