Family Who Came to Visit Gujarat Forest Official Found Buried, Officer Suspect

Police in Bhavnagar have recovered the bodies of a Gujarat forest official's wife and their two children, 10 days after they were reported missing. The bodies were found near the officer’s government quarter after a tip-off about suspicious digging.

A tragic incident has shaken Bhavnagar after the bodies of a Gujarat forest official’s wife and their two children were recovered on Sunday, ten days after they went missing. Police confirmed that the bodies belonged to Nayana Rabari, aged 40, her nine-year-old son, and her 13-year-old daughter.

The family had been living in Surat, but they had travelled to Bhavnagar to visit Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Shailesh Khambhla during a vacation. Soon after arriving, they went missing, leading Khambhla to file a missing persons complaint on November 6, according to news agency Press Trust of India.

How the bodies were discovered

Bhavnagar Superintendent of Police (SP) Nitesh Pandey told reporters that the breakthrough came after police received a tip-off about suspicious digging activity near Khambhla’s residential quarter in the Forest Colony. The information was received around the same time the missing complaint was filed, the PTI report added.

On Sunday morning, police teams, along with Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) experts and a sniffer dog squad, inspected the area. During the search, they found the bodies buried at the spot. Family members later identified them as Nayana Rabari and her two children.

Officer likely the suspect

SP Pandey confirmed that ACF Shailesh Khambhla is currently being treated as a suspect. However, police have not yet shared further details about his possible involvement. Investigators are now working to establish the exact sequence of events that led to the deaths.

Investigation continues

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem to determine the cause and time of death. Police said the investigation is active and all angles are being examined. Officers are also speaking to neighbours, colleagues and others who may provide more information.

The case has caused deep shock in the area, as the family had only come to Bhavnagar for a short holiday. Police are expected to release more details once the post-mortem report and other evidence are analysed.

(With agency inputs)