Bollywood Hopeful Decapitated by 'Friends'

Meenakshi Thapa, a 26-year-old aspiring Bollywood actress, vanished in March 2012 after meeting acquaintances from a film set. She had relocated to Mumbai to pursue her acting career, even appearing in films like '404' and 'Heroine.' The individuals she met, junior artistes Amit Jaiswal and Preeti Surin, falsely believed her family was wealthy and planned her abduction.

Jaiswal and Surin convinced Meenakshi to travel with them to Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, on March 13, 2012, under the guise of a work opportunity. Shortly after their departure, Meenakshi became unreachable. Her mother received a ransom demand for Rs 15 lakh on March 17, accompanied by a chilling threat of forcing her into pornography.

Despite her family managing to deposit Rs 60,000, Meenakshi could not be saved. Prosecutors stated that Jaiswal and Surin strangled her and then decapitated her. Her torso was discovered in a septic tank near Surin's family home, while her head was never recovered.

The critical mistake by the killers was retaining Meenakshi's SIM card. Police tracked them using call records and electronic evidence, arresting Jaiswal and Surin on April 14, 2012, near Bandra station in Mumbai as they attempted to use her debit card. Meenakshi's headless body was found days later in Prayagraj. In May 2018, a Mumbai court sentenced both killers to life imprisonment for murder and kidnapping for ransom.