The Bihar government was shaken at the time in the 1990s by the tragic Shilpi Jain murder case, which took the lives of Gautam Singha and Shilpi. It was one of the most high-profile murder cases in the history of India.

Indian law enforcement officials concluded this case a “double suicide” even though many people are still not convinced by this case investigation and conclusion.

Shilpi Jain and Gautam Singh

Shilpi was the daughter of Indian businessman Ujjwal Kumar Jain, the owner of the clothes business Kamla Stores. However, Gautam was the son of B.N. Singh, a doctor based in London.

Gautam was also a member of the youth wing of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), a political party based in Bihar. Shilpi and Gautam were believed to be involved in a romantic relationship.

Discovery of Dead Bodies

The murder case of Shilpi Jain came to light when two dead bodies of a boy and a girl were found in a semi-naked condition inside a car.

Police discovered this car in the parking area next to quarter number 12 on Frazer Road in Patna, Bihra on July 3, 1999. They identified the dead bodies as “Shilpi” and “Gautam.” The duo went disappeared on July 2, 1999.

A shocking moment was when Sadhu Yadav owned the quarter where Shilpi and Gautam were found dead. He is an Indian politician who served as a member of the legislative assembly for the ruling RJD party at that time.

He had deep roots in the political arena as he was the brother of then-Bihar Chief Minister Rabri Devi and brother-in-law of ex-Bihar CM Lalu Prasad Yadav. Rabri is the wife of Lalu Prasad.

Controversial Police Investigation

The presence of dead bodies in the quarter of Sadhu Yadav was itself a big question mark. But the way Patna police led the investigation of the Shilpi-Gautam murder case was even more disturbing and questionable.

Hence, serious questions were raised regarding the police investigation and handling of this murder case which still stands. Police reportedly could not even secure the crime scene at the parking area where the car was found as supporters of Sadhu arrived there and caused a lot of destruction and violence.

Police did not even seize the car. Instead, a constable drove it to the Patna police station without wearing hand gloves. This deliberate negligence made it impossible to get the fingerprint information from the car’s steering wheel.

Moreover, police first declared this case a “double suicide” even before the Viscera report was released. A Viscera report is a medical document that, provides a detailed examination, of internal organs (like the heart, liver, and stomach) during an autopsy.

Later on, the police mentioned the victims died of accidental carbon monoxide poisoning. They also quickly burned the body of Gautam without the permission of his family.

Another contradiction in the police report was that the person who called them at the crime scene must have known about the dead bodies because the parking area garage was locked from the inside and the key was missing.

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Shocking revelations in Shilpi Jain Case

Family members of Shilpi came forward six days after police found dead bodies. They stated it was a murder and not a suicide. The claim of Shilpi’s family created a great deal of political controversy around the murder case because of the involvement of notable Bihar political figures.

Following this, the people of India held massive protests to demand justice for Shilpi. They held frequent candlelight memorials in honor of Shilpi for days.

The emotional attachment and sympathy of the Indian public towards Shilpi put immense pressure on the Rabri-led government to hold a transparent investigation of the Shilpi Jain case.

Moreover, the poorly handled police investigation until that point forced Rabri to hand over the Shilpi Jain case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in 2003. Following the flaws in the police investigation CBI sent Shilpi’s vaginal fluid to Hyderable for DNA testing.

According to the test report, several people reportedly raped Shilpi before she died away. Afterward, CBI reportedly requested Sadhu Yadav for a DNA sample but he allegedly refused to give it to them.

Then, the CBI closed the case after proceeding for one year without a significant outcome. They declared it to be a suicide case in their report and submitted it to the Patna High Court in 2004.

Despite the fact, Shilpi was brutally raped as revealed in medical examination, the Patna court gave a clean chit to the accused Sadhu.

But common sense questions still intrigue the mind why would Shilpi commit suicide? Why and how would she take off her clothes after suicide?

Shilpi’s Family Viewpoint

However, Prashant Jain, Shilpi’s brother tried to reopen the murder case of her sister in 2006. Meanwhile, unknown armed men kidnapped him in front of his home in Budda Marg. But later he was released.

His home was in the vicinity of Kotwali Police Station but police failed to respond quickly in his kidnapping case. The police also allegedly avoided reporting on this case to the media.

Despite this case closure, Shilpi’s parents still disagree with the 2004 CBI report. They emphasize Shilpi was murdered and want a new inquiry to be conducted.

Conclusion

The Shilpi Jain case is an obvious example of how Indian politics can dodge the justice system. And rape becomes a privilege for the Indian elite political class.

Law enforcement officials closed this case without a full investigation, even though there was strong proof of foul play such as the fact the police did not properly secure the crime scene. Even the primary suspect Sadhu refused to give his DNA sample.

This shows how powerful politicians often don’t have to answer for their actions despite their alleged involvement in horrible crimes. This makes it hard for victims and their families to get justice.