Wednesday’s excavation, overseen by magistrates and FSL specialists, used heavy machinery to expose the grim secret in Kutub Nagar. The bones are believed to belong to Farzana, aka Shabnam, a Dholka native who disappeared as a teenager after a turbulent life.

Wed at 17 in Surat, Farzana returned home amid troubles, then relocated to Ahmedabad solo. She connected with Shamsuddin, married him, but their bond soured over her sex work, leading to violent clashes.

Four individuals stand accused: the late Saliyabi, property owner; Shamsuddin; his sibling Iqbal Khedawala; and deceased friend Abdul Karim. They allegedly plotted Farzana’s strangulation in the house, dumping her corpse in a pit sealed with plaster.

Locals shunned the derelict site, whispering of ghosts. A family member’s glimpse of the burial, silenced by threats, proved pivotal. While two suspects are gone, Shamsuddin and Iqbal may still be alive, per ongoing inquiries.

Rushed to Civil Hospital, the skeleton awaits DNA cross-check with a Mumbai kin’s sample. ACP Bharat Patel emphasized, ‘This forensic match will solidify evidence against the living perpetrators.’ As Ahmedabad Police await lab results, a decades-old injustice edges toward resolution.