Prajal Sanandia case: Mother, lover had killed “kidnapped” girl child

Some 10 years ago, Jalpa got married to Rajnikant Sanandia, also a teacher. However, her affair with Patel continued even after the marriage, said police. Both Jalpa and Patel were native of Khakhreji village of Maliya-Miyana taluka and therefore knew each other well.

“Since the birth of Pranjal, Rajnikant had started suspecting that he was not father of the girl. Jalpa also got whiff of her husband’s suspicion and asked Patel to dispose of the infant,” Dave told The Indian Express.

The lovers hatched a plan to bump off the child and executed it on October 21. “Rajnikant was away from home to attend a social function that day. Jalpa sent her mother-in-law out of home requesting her to go buy some medicine as the child was crying. It was at this time that she called Patel who came driving a car and took away the child,” the SP further said.

Police said Patel suffocated the child to death in his car and threw her body in Maliya branch canal of Narmada near Akhiyana village in Dasada taluka of neighbouring Surendranagar district the same day.

In her complaint, Jalpa had stated that two men dressed in saffron clothes of sadhus had threw some chemical on her face and kidnapped her daughter. However, after her medical examination, doctors had concluded that no chemical which can make a human being fall unconscious was thrown the woman. Nor had forensic experts found any traces of any chemical from the residence of the woman on Vavdi road in Morbi.

After the revelation, police detained Jalpa and Patel on Wednesday.

“To keep their affair secret, Jalpa would meet Patel only when she would visit her parents, who had also shifted to Morbi since. The couple have confessed their crime. Efforts will be made to recover body of the child,” the SP added.