Thane Crime Unit Cracks 2011 Toddler Murder, Neighbor Confesses to Shocking Crime

Mumbai, 19th September 2024: A dedicated crime investigation team remains undeterred by setbacks, continually working toward solving cases. In one such case, police in Maharashtra’s Thane district successfully solved the murder of a toddler in 2011, despite being misled twice by the accused, a neighbour.

Shreyash, an 18-month-old boy, lived with his father Manish Nadage, a hardware engineer, his mother Sangeeta, his older sister Shweta, and his grandmother Usha Landage in Kalyan, Thane. On the morning of July 15, 2011, while Manish went to work and Sangeeta left for a job interview, Shweta and her grandmother stayed home, caring for Shreyash. While fetching water, Usha briefly stepped out, and Shweta went to play with friends. Upon returning, Shweta found Shreyash missing and informed her grandmother. The family, along with neighbour Prakash Shinde, began searching for the boy. The Shindes were fond of Shreyash, as he would often crawl into their home.

Nandini Shinde, a young fashion designer and Prakash’s daughter, also joined the search. She first checked the area around her home, then informed Usha that Shreyash wasn’t there and helped look elsewhere. Nandini also called Sangeeta, prompting her and Manish to return home. Despite efforts to locate the child, they were unsuccessful and later approached Kolsewadi police station.

Inspector Jagdish Lohalkar immediately registered a kidnapping case and assembled search teams. Since CCTV footage wasn’t available, the police relied on witness accounts. During questioning, Nandini mentioned seeing an occultist who had visited the area recently. The police pursued this lead but found no substantial evidence, leading them to suspect Nandini of deliberately providing false information. Their suspicion grew when they learned Nandini had left the complex with a bag. Although she claimed to have given the bag to a friend, police followed up, and her friend’s confirmation cleared Nandini of immediate suspicion.

However, two days later, Shreyash’s body was discovered near a car shed in Kalyan. Manish identified the body, and a post-mortem confirmed strangulation as the cause of death. Under pressure to solve the case, investigators found several items near the body, including a yellow scarf, but no one in the community recognized them.

The day after the child’s funeral, Sangeeta requested to see the items again. Upon examining the scarf, she recalled seeing Nandini wear something similar. Police searched Nandini’s home, finding a pair of pyjamas matching the scarf. Confronted with the evidence, Nandini confessed to killing Shreyash.

Nandini explained that she had been taunted by Usha over her marital status and character, which fueled her desire for revenge. On July 15, while Usha was occupied and Shweta was playing, Nandini lured Shreyash into her home, gagged, and strangled him. She later wrapped his body in the scarf, placed it in a bag, and disposed of it near the car shed. Nandini had also concocted a story to convince her friend to back her claims about the bag.

The case, marked by misdirection and determination, was ultimately cracked due to the persistence of the investigation team.