Decomposed body found in Hingna field; missing woman Meena Telang feared dead, DNA test ordered

The discovery of a woman's body in a field in the Deori Pendhri area of Hingna, Nagpur district, has caused alarm across the locality. Police received information around 12.30 pm on Tuesday that a body was lying in a field in the Deori area. The body was completely decomposed and could not be identified.

On receiving the information, DCP Zone 1 S. Rushikesh Reddy and Inspector Pramod Ghonge reached the spot with their team. Police have registered a case of accidental death and sent the body for postmortem.

A woman from the same area has been missing for 28 days. A complaint was filed at Hingna police station on 7 October about the disappearance of Bali alias Meena Ranveer Telang (43), who lives in the Deori area. For this reason it is being surmised that the body could be hers. Police, however, say they will say anything definite only after a DNA test.

It was difficult to make out the dead woman's features. Even so, the description of the clothes that was given matches Meena's. Meena has been missing for 28 days, and the body found on Tuesday is also completely decomposed. Family members are unable to identify the body. Police will therefore try to match DNA with samples from Meena's parents.

Meena's husband Ranveer told police that on 6 October he returned home after working in his field. Around 8 pm, a dispute arose between Ranveer and Meena over her starting a conversation with a man. After the argument, Ranveer sat in the hall of the house, and Meena went to the kitchen saying "I am making food".

According to Ranveer, when he went to the kitchen a little later, Meena was not there. A search of the surrounding area turned up no trace of her, after which a missing-person complaint was lodged with police. Police had registered a kidnapping case and begun an investigation, but no clue to Meena's whereabouts was found.

DCP Reddy said the DNA test would clear everything up. If the body turns out to be Meena's, it will also be necessary to establish the cause of her death. According to the DCP, the body is in such poor condition that the cause of death cannot be determined now. Only after the postmortem will anything become clear.