The Bhavnagar Family Tragedy: Forest Officer Accused of Triple Murder
In the quiet forest colony of Talaja Road in Bhavnagar, the nights are usually still. Crickets, rustling leaves, and the distant hum of wildlife blend into a familiar symphony. But this November, that silence concealed a nightmare. What began as a missing-person complaint filed by a respected forest officer slowly unfolded into one of Gujarat’s most disturbing family murder cases in recent years.
Bhavnagar ACF Arrested for Murder of Wife and Children
Assistant Conservator of Forests Shailesh Bachu Khambhla, a man entrusted with protecting nature, stands accused of taking the lives of his wife Nayana, his 13-year-old daughter, and his 9-year-old son and burying them in pits dug behind his official residence.
This is not just a crime. It is a rupture of trust, a descent into darkness that no one around him saw coming.
Timeline of Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1–2 November 2025 | According to investigators, Khambhla allegedly ordered the digging of two pits behind his official quarters. |
| 5 November 2025 | Khambhla alleges that his wife Nayana (42) and their children, daughter (13) and son (9), went missing when he was on duty. He files a missing-person report at the Bharatnagar Police Station. |
| 6 November 2025 | Investigators suspect this to be the approximate time of death. |
| 16 November 2025 | Police, along with forensic teams, excavate the pits and recover decomposed bodies of three persons who were identified as Khambhla’s wife and two children. |
| 16–17 November 2025 | Khambhla is arrested. He is charged for murder, destruction of the evidence, and providing false information to the police. |
Background
The case involves Shailesh Bachu Khambhla, an Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) posted in Bhavnagar, Gujarat. He had been accused of murdering his wife and their two children and then secretly burying their bodies near his government quarter.
The incident came to light when Khambhla went to the police on 5 November and claimed that his family had suddenly gone missing while he was on duty. He told officers that his wife and children had left home on their own, and he pretended to be worried about them. However, from the beginning, police officers felt that his behaviour was unusually calm and emotionless for someone whose entire family had disappeared.
As the investigation continued, several inconsistencies appeared in his story. For example, he said that his wife and children had left in an auto rickshaw, but the security guard at the colony gate reported that he had not seen them leave at all. There were no witnesses, no movements captured, and no phone calls made by the family.
Police then learned something suspicious — a few days before filing the missing-person report, Khambhla had asked a junior forest staff member to dig two deep pits behind his residence. He later filled the pits and claimed a nilgai (a wild animal) had fallen in. This raised major suspicion.
Acting upon this information, police and forensic teams dug the pit on 16 November. What they found was horrifying: the bodies of his wife and two children were buried inside, wrapped in bedding, tied with stones, and left to decompose. This discovery confirmed that the missing-person story was false.
After the bodies were recovered, Khambhla confessed that he had smothered (pressed a pillow on their faces) his wife and children and buried them in the pits he had prepared earlier. Police believe that the murder likely took place around 6 November.
The main reason behind the crime appears to be ongoing marital disputes. His wife preferred living in Surat with her in-laws, while Khambhla wanted her to stay with him in Bhavnagar. This ongoing tension seems to have escalated into a violent and pre-planned act. Khambhla has now been charged with murder, destroying evidence, and misleading the police.
Major Reasons
While investigations are ongoing, the prima facie motive appears to be rooted in a marital dispute:
- Disagreement Over Residency: According to police, Khambhla claimed he had been insisting his wife live in Bhavnagar (near his posting), while she wanted to stay in Surat with her in-laws — a point of recurring conflict.
- Premeditation: The fact that pits were dug in advance (before the murder happened) strongly suggests this was not a crime of passion but a well-planned act.
- Cover-up Intent: By burying the bodies and then fabricating a missing-person narrative, Khambhla appears to have tried to mislead the investigation, perhaps to buy time or evade suspicion.
Forensic Aspects
Forensic science played a critical role in unraveling this crime.
- Recovery of Bodies
The bodies were exhumed under supervision in the presence of panch witnesses, police, and forensic experts.
They were found tied with stones, covered with mattresses, and buried in the pits — suggesting deliberate efforts to conceal and delay discovery. - Post-mortem
The bodies were sent to Sir T Hospital in Bhavnagar for post-mortem. According to police, the cause of death was smothering (pillow over the faces).
The presence of stones, blankets, and doors in the pit may have been intended to suppress decomposition sounds or muffle any movement, though detailed forensic reports (toxicology, time of death estimation) are not yet publicly disclosed. - Digital and Behavioral Forensics
Call-Detail Records (CDRs): Investigators studied Khambhla’s phone records; they found that he was in contact with his subordinate before and after the disappearance.
Staff Testimony: A junior officer (RFO) confirmed he was instructed to dig the pits.
Behavioral Analysis: Investigators were suspicious of Khambhla’s “unconcerned” attitude after filing the missing-person report.
Conclusion
This case is a shocking example of a planned family murder. It involved careful thinking, lies, and the misuse of official power. At first, it looked like the family had only gone missing, but the forensic investigation helped reveal that it was actually a triple murder.
Because the main accused is a forest officer — someone trusted by the public — the case raises serious questions about responsibility, power, and trust. It also makes us think about problems inside families, mental stress, and how such issues often go unnoticed.
The police and forensic experts now need to clearly prove when the murders happened, how they happened, and whether anyone else was involved. A fair and complete investigation is necessary to ensure justice for the victims and to rebuild public trust in both the police and the forest department.
Reference
- Gujarat Samachar — “Bhavnagar ACF arrested for murdering wife, two children, bodies found buried behind official quarters”
- NDTV — “Gujarat Forest Officer Murders Wife And 2 Children, Dumps Bodies In Pit”
- Hindustan Times — “Gujarat forest officer held for murder after bodies of his wife and two kids found in pit”
- The Indian Express — “Gujarat forest official’s wife, 2 children missing for 10 days, bodies found in field near home”
- Ahmedabad Mirror — “Woman, her 2 children missing since Nov 6 found dead by cops”
