- Police used reverse psychology and AI to mislead accused.
- Property greed and fake gift deed were murder motive.
- Blue car, CDR, recovered weapons led to Shrikant.
Bhopal Couple Murder Case: The police claimed to have solved the Bhopal double murder case, in which a couple, Shakuntala and Hemant Philemon, were shot dead at their home in the city's Aishbagh area on June 24. Police used reverse psychology to solve the double murder case.
Traditional investigation, high-tech AI (Artificial Intelligence) technology, and digital evidence also played a big role to nab the accused.
Police's Mind Game To Mislead Accused
In the case, the police took a very strategic step by releasing AI-generated sketches and photographs during the initial investigation that did not actually belong to the accused. This 'mind game' trick by the police was successful, and the real murderers remained unperturbed, thinking the police were being misled. Instead of fleeing the city, they continued their normal activities and were eventually caught in the police net.
How Police Connected 24 Dots
The SIT formed to investigate the case conducted extensive investigations on 24 different points simultaneously to uncover the entire conspiracy. This included property disputes, alleged gift deeds, bank accounts, mobile CDRs, locations, digital transactions, social media, CCTV footage, and the weapon used in the murder.
According to ACP Umesh Tiwari, AI-based sketches of the suspects were created based on CCTV footage, but the police deliberately altered some facial features to mislead the main accused. This police strategy was successful. The main accused, Shrikant, remained in the city, while the police monitored his every move.
After the murder, Shrikant, very cunningly, reached the mortuary first and remained active until the funeral to avoid suspicion. However, technical evidence exposed him.
Three Key Clues That Led Police To The Murder
- Blue car: The blue car seen on CCTV near the crime scene turned out to be Shrikant's.
- CDR clue: An investigation of mobile call detail records revealed that Shivani Barik, sister-in-law of Hemant, received over 300 calls, while Shakuntala received none, deepening police suspicion.
- Weapons recovered: With the help of divers, both pistols used in the murder were recovered from Bhopal's Bada Talab and have been sent to Sagar FSL for ballistics testing.
What Was The Motive Of Double Murder?
According to the police, the main motive for this double murder was greed for property. The accused, Shrikant, had obtained the house in his name through an alleged fake gift deed. When the police presented him with CDR, CCTV footage, and other technical evidence after nearly six hours of rigorous interrogation, he broke down. He confessed to carrying out this horrific crime on June 24 along with his brother, Shashikant. Police have also recovered mobile phones from both accused.
(With Naidunia Inputs)