‘Dead’ Woman Walking, AI To Find Woh Kaun Thi?

Buldhana: An unidentified body of a woman, which was presumed to be that of an honour killing victim - leading to arrest of her father and brother - was exhumed in Buldhana district after a shocking twist revealed that the woman, who was believed to be dead, is actually alive.Police have prepared a facial sketch based on physical observations. Additionally, an AI-based facial reconstruction has been generated and released to the public in an effort to identify the deceased. Buldhana police have also announced Rs50,000 reward for anyone providing reliable information about the deceased. The exhumation marks a turning point in the high-profile case that has now raised serious questions about the initial police investigation and identification process.The case began on April 26, when a partially burnt, headless body of an unidentified woman was found near a farm in Rajura village under Jalgaon Jamod police jurisdiction. A human skull recovered nearby added another twist to the crime. Based on missing person records and inquiries conducted across Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, and even Burhanpur in Madhya Pradesh, police had identified the body as that of Shivani Kalamekar.Investigators suspected that Shivani had been murdered by her father, Bapurao Kalamekar, and brother, Ajay, over her relationship with a man. Police claimed to have cracked the case within 12 days, arresting both accused and sending them to judicial custody.However, the case took an embarrassing turn on May 27, when Shivani walked into Khaknar police station in Burhanpur - alive. A day later, she appeared at Jalgaon Jamod police station.Her reappearance shattered the police's earlier theory, confirming that the body that had been identified - and even cremated - was not hers, but that of an unidentified woman. Following these developments, authorities had ordered the exhumation of the remains to reassess the case from a fresh, scientific perspective.Amravati range inspector general of police Mahesh Patil visited Jalgaon Jamod to review the investigation, accompanied by superintendent of police Nilesh Tambe, additional SP, and the investigation team. What was once projected as a swift resolution to an alleged honour killing case has now turned into a complex investigation involving mis-identification and an unidentified victim whose identity yet remains unknown and a mystery. Police have also released contact numbers: Buldhana police control room: 07262-242400; Mehkar SDPOs Santosh Khade 8459957187 and Ganesh Kad 9552468970; Jalgaon Jamod police station PI Sachin Bagul 9803219803. Police have appealed to the public to widely circulate the released sketch to help establish identity of the deceased at the earliest and move the investigation forward.