INDORE — A horrific discovery in the Dwarkapuri area has rattled Indore after the naked body of a 24-year-old MBA student was found inside her classmate’s rented apartment on Friday, February 13, 2026. The victim had been missing for over 48 hours before neighbors alerted the police to a foul smell emanating from the locked residence.
Investigators have identified the prime suspect as Piyush Dhamnodiya, a classmate and alleged boyfriend of the victim, who is currently absconding.
1. Timeline of the Disappearance
The victim, a second-semester MBA student, was last seen on the afternoon of Wednesday, February 11.
- The Last Outing: She accompanied her father to the local collectorate to rectify her birth certificate. After being dropped off, she informed her family she was heading to a friend’s birthday party and would return by 11:00 PM.
- The Incident: When she failed to return and her phone went unreachable, her family filed a missing person’s report at the Pandharinath police station.
- The Discovery: On Friday morning, police broke open the door of Piyush’s rented room in Dwarkapuri to find the victim’s body. Her father reportedly identified her solely by the socks she was wearing.+1
2. Chilling Allegations of Blackmail
The victim’s father has leveled serious accusations against the suspect, suggesting the murder was the culmination of a long-standing extortion plot.
- Extortion: The father alleged that Piyush had been blackmailing the victim for money, even pressuring her to pay his college fees.
- Objectionable Content: Disturbingly, on the night she went missing, an objectionable video was posted to the college’s official WhatsApp group from the victim’s own phone. In the video, the male’s face was obscured by an emoji, while the victim was clearly identifiable.
- Cyber Harassment: The suspect allegedly uploaded private photos to the victim’s social media status and sent them to her contact list to humiliate and coerce her.
3. Police Investigation & Current Status
DCP Shri Krishna Lalchandani confirmed that prima facie evidence points to strangulation, likely with a rope, as signs of a struggle were found at the scene.
| Investigation Detail | Current Status |
| Prime Suspect | Piyush Dhamnodiya (Resident of Mandsaur); Absconding. |
| Cause of Death | Strangulation (Pending final Post-Mortem report). |
| Evidence Collected | Forensic samples, digital logs from WhatsApp, and mobile signals. |
| Police Action | Multiple teams dispatched to Mandsaur and neighboring districts to trace the suspect. |
4. Community Outrage
The case has sparked intense debate over the safety of students in rented accommodations and the misuse of private digital content. Relatives of the victim have criticized the police for an alleged delay in searching the suspect’s room, claiming that a constable visited the locked flat on February 12 but did not enter, potentially losing critical time.