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Shocking Triple Murder: Forest Officer Suspected in Gruesome Killings
16 Nov
Summary
- Bodies of woman and two children found buried near forest officer's quarters
- Husband, an assistant conservator of forests, detained as prime suspect
- Misleading message from wife's phone raises suspicion about officer's role
On November 16, 2025, a disturbing triple-murder case has come to light in Bhavnagar, India. The bodies of a 40-year-old woman, Nayana Khambhla, and her two children, 9-year-old Bhavya and 13-year-old Pratha, were discovered buried near the residential quarters of a forest department.
The prime suspect in the case is Nayana's husband, Shailesh Khambhla, who is an assistant conservator of forests (ACF) posted in Bhavnagar. Police have detained Khambhla for questioning, as inconsistencies in his statements and a misleading message from his wife's phone have raised serious suspicions about his involvement in the gruesome killings.
According to the investigation, Khambhla had approached the police on November 7, 2025, claiming that his wife and children had left Bhavnagar for Surat two days earlier, on November 5. However, when relatives in Surat said the family had never arrived, authorities filed a formal missing persons report.
During the probe, police found that Khambhla had allegedly dug a five-foot-deep pit even before his wife and children arrived from Surat for the Diwali holidays. This suggests premeditation, though the motive behind the triple murder remains unclear. Additionally, CCTV footage from the route towards Surat did not show Nayana or the children, further contradicting Khambhla's claims.
The bodies were discovered on November 13, 2025, after a forest department employee tipped off the police about suspicious activity near the ACF's quarters. The police team, accompanied by forensic experts and a dog squad, found the bodies buried in the pit, covered with old mattresses, garbage, and debris.
As the investigation continues, authorities are examining Khambhla's personal, financial, and professional background, and are also verifying whether anyone else may have assisted in the burial or preparation of the pit. The postmortem report and digital evidence are expected to be crucial in establishing the sequence of events and the exact cause of the victims' deaths.
