The quiet surroundings of Bhavnagar’s Forest Colony were shattered this week by the shocking revelation of a triple murder committed by a government officer entrusted with protecting wildlife and natural resources. Gujarat police on Monday confirmed the arrest of Shailesh Khambhla, a 39-year-old Assistant Conservator of Forests, for the alleged murder of his wife Nayana and their two young children. The bodies, which had been missing for days, were recovered from a six-foot-deep pit near his official residence, exposing what investigators described as a calculated act carried out under the guise of domestic instability.

The case began as a missing persons complaint when Khambhla claimed on November 5 that his wife and children had vanished from home while he was on duty. But over the next several days, discrepancies in his statements, his unusual behaviour, and corroborative evidence pieced together by investigators gradually exposed the grim truth behind the family’s disappearance.

A Family’s Visit Turns Fatal

According to police, Nayana and her two children had been living in Surat with her in-laws. They travelled to Bhavnagar at the beginning of November to spend the Diwali vacation with Khambhla. What began as a routine family visit deteriorated within days, culminating in what authorities now describe as a premeditated triple murder.

Investigators believe that a prolonged marital dispute between the couple became the immediate trigger for the killings. Superintendent of Police Nitesh Pandey explained that the relationship had been strained for months, primarily because Nayana wished to leave Surat and live with her husband in Bhavnagar, a request Khambhla reportedly rejected repeatedly. These quarrels, police believe, escalated sharply before the incident.

The Missing Complaint and Suspicious Behaviour

On November 5, Khambhla approached the Bhavnagar police, claiming his wife had left their home with the children while he was away at work. He suggested that a security guard at the colony had seen Nayana and the children depart in an auto rickshaw. But when detectives questioned the guard, he categorically denied seeing the family leave the premises.

This contradiction was one of the first warning signs. What further raised suspicion, officers said, was Khambhla’s strikingly detached behaviour during the early stages of the investigation. According to SP Pandey, Khambhla showed little concern or urgency about his supposedly missing family. His emotional detachment, combined with inconsistencies in his narrative, prompted investigators to scrutinize him more closely.

A Trail of Evidence

As officers began reviewing Khambhla’s phone records, they uncovered communication between him and a subordinate officer, Range Forest Officer (RFO) Girish Vania, around the dates when the family went missing. This discovery proved pivotal.

Vania, when questioned, told police that Khambhla had asked him on November 2—days before the alleged disappearance—to arrange for two pits to be dug behind his government-allotted accommodation. Khambhla reportedly told Vania that he needed to dispose of garbage that had accumulated near his residence. Vania complied and arranged for an excavator, which dug two six-foot-deep pits behind the officer’s quarters.

Then, on November 6—one day after Khambhla filed the missing persons report—he again contacted Vania and asked him to send a dumper truck to fill the pits. The reason he gave this time was that a nilgai had supposedly fallen into one of the trenches and the area needed to be covered. Police now believe this explanation was merely an attempt to conceal the crime scene after the murders had been committed.

The Recovery of the Bodies

Acting on these leads, the police visited the site with RFO Vania on November 16. In the presence of forensic experts, the investigating team began digging the pits. What they discovered confirmed their worst fears: the bodies of Nayana and her two children were buried together, carefully hidden under layers of soil.

The scene, according to officers, bore clear signs of a deliberate effort to conceal the bodies and eliminate evidence. Forensic teams immediately began examining the site and the remains, while the police secured the area for further investigation.

Police Say Murders Were “Pre-Planned”

After his arrest, Khambhla reportedly confessed to the killings. According to SP Pandey, the officer admitted that he smothered his wife and children with a pillow before transporting their bodies to the pits he had arranged to have dug in advance. This sequence of events, investigators say, leaves little doubt that the murders were pre-planned.

The police have charged Khambhla with murder and destruction of evidence under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. Officers also believe that he used his authority as a senior forest official to direct subordinates into unknowingly facilitating aspects of the crime, such as digging the pits and later covering them.

A Marital Dispute Turned Deadly

Investigators say the underlying cause of the killings appears to be persistent domestic conflict. Khambhla’s wife was reportedly unhappy living in Surat and had insisted that the family relocate to Bhavnagar to stay together. This was a demand he refused to accept, and the couple frequently clashed over the issue. Police believe the tension eventually escalated into violence.

SP Pandey said the case illustrates how unresolved marital discord, combined with premeditation, led to a tragic outcome that wiped out an entire family.

A Community in Shock

The incident has left the Forest Colony and the larger Bhavnagar community deeply shaken. Colleagues who worked with Khambhla described him as a disciplined officer with no previous record of misconduct, making the revelations even more unsettling. Members of the Travancore Devaswom Board and forest officials in the region expressed shock over the misuse of official authority and resources for a crime of this magnitude.

The police continue to examine electronic evidence, including call detail records and digital footprints, to establish a complete timeline of the events leading up to the murders. Forensic results from the crime scene are expected to provide additional clarity on the sequence of events.

As the investigation progresses, authorities are working to piece together a more detailed narrative of the crime, which combines elements of domestic strife, abuse of power, and meticulous planning. What began as a routine missing persons report has now emerged as one of the most disturbing criminal cases in recent memory for the region.

With Khambhla now in custody and charged, the focus shifts to building a watertight case in court. The police say they are committed to ensuring justice for Nayana and her children, whose lives were cut short in an act of violence that has stunned the state.