The investigators are now considering contacting the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to deploy professional divers for a deep-water search.
Superintendent of Police Shailendra Singh Chouhan stated that they are exploring various angles in the case and have not yet registered a murder case.
“We will rely on circumstantial evidence and work towards reaching a logical conclusion in this matter,” the officer said.
The police have expressed doubts about the father’s claim that the bodies of the couple, reportedly killed in Ambah, were disposed of in the Chambal River. Despite extensive searches conducted by divers, no evidence confirming the disposal of the bodies has been found thus far. Currently, six relatives and neighbours are being questioned by the police.
In light of the lack of evidence, the police are now considering the possibility that Chhotu Tomar and Shivani were murdered and buried in nearby ravines. However, due to insufficient evidence, no case has been registered by the police at this stage.
Shivani, an 18-year-old from Ratanbasai village in Ambah, was involved in a romantic relationship with Radheshyam alias Chhotu Tomar, 21, from the neighbouring village of Balupura.
On Sunday, June 18, Shivani’s father, Rajpal Singh Tomar, confessed to murdering the couple and disposing of their bodies in the river.
However, despite extensive search efforts by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and divers, no traces of the bodies have been found along a three-and-a-half-kilometre stretch from Ray Ghat to Ruar in the Chambal River.
Considering the absence of concrete evidence, the police suspect that crocodiles and alligators may have consumed the bodies within the last 15 days. Rajpal stated in his confession that the relatives had taken Chhotu to the wilderness and fatally assaulted him with sticks and rods.
Based on this disclosure, the police have expanded their search to the ravines.
Meanwhile, Chhotu’s relatives, losing hope of finding the bodies, conducted symbolic funeral rites and organized a feast for girls and Brahmins in the village to honour his memory and seek solace.
Rajpal Singh Tomar, the father of the girl, claimed to have used a tractor-trolley to dispose of the bodies into the Chambal River under the cover of darkness.
However, when questioned about the tractor-trolley, he stated that he had hastily sold it for one lakh rupees but could not recall the buyer’s identity.
Although it was mentioned that the bodies were discarded along with clothing, shoes, and slippers, the absence of any remnants of these items raises doubts. When confronted with this issue, Rajpal claimed that all the items were burnt during the night but was unable to provide the specific location.
The accused party had been absent from their residence for five days since June 3, and Rajpal Singh Tomar discarded his phone on the same day, stating that he had misplaced it.
Investigations are currently under way, and the police are eagerly awaiting the assistance of divers from the NDRF to aid in their search for the bodies.
Meanwhile, a video of the missing couple has surfaced on social media, where they can be heard affirming that they got married and expressed their desire to live together. This video is said to be that of May 18.
Families were opposed to their marriage as they belonged to the same gotra (ancestral lineage).