The brutal murder of teacher Manisha in Loharu, Bhiwani, has sent shockwaves across Haryana. The horror of the case has been made worse by the failures of the police, leading to a series of disciplinary actions against senior and local officials. In this tragic case, the Superintendent of Police (SP) has been transferred, four personnel including a woman Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) have been suspended, and the Station House Officer (SHO) has been sent to the police lines. The family of the victim has openly accused the police of gross negligence and of ignoring their cries for help.

Taking strict notice of the crime, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Saini ordered the transfer of Bhiwani SP Manbir Singh. The Chief Minister held the police accountable for their careless approach. As punishment for negligence, Loharu SHO Ashok was shifted to the police lines, while Woman ASI Shakuntala, ERV ESI Anoop, Constable Pawan, and SPO Dharmendra were suspended with immediate effect. These actions, however, have not eased the grief of the family, who insist that timely police intervention could have prevented this horrific murder.

The gruesome details of the crime emerged after a second post-mortem was carried out at PGI Rohtak on Friday. Doctors confirmed that Manisha had been killed by slitting her throat with a sharp weapon. The post-mortem also revealed shocking mutilation—her eyes and several body parts were missing. Whether she had been sexually assaulted before her killing is still unclear, and officials have not confirmed it. The family, devastated and angry, refused to claim the body until the accused are arrested.

Even after five days of the incident, the accused are still absconding. This lack of progress has fueled massive public anger. On Saturday, villagers staged a large protest by blocking the Delhi–Pilani National Highway in Bhiwani. Life in surrounding areas came to a halt as markets in Loharu, Dhigawa, Behal, and Charkhi Dadri remained closed. On Friday night, the pain of the people was expressed in candle marches held in Sohansra, Loharu, and nearby villages.

On the same Friday evening, Rohtak Range IG Y. Poon Kumar visited the crime scene in Singhani. At Dhigawa, he faced strong resistance from a 21-member committee of villagers, who issued a stern warning: if the police failed to make arrests within 48 hours, they would launch a state-wide agitation and impose a complete blockade. Committee leader Kapoor Singh held the police directly responsible, stating clearly that “despite the family informing the police on time, negligence cost Manisha her life.”

To regain control and restore public confidence, the government appointed IPS officer Sumit Kumar (2024 batch) as the new SP of Bhiwani. On Saturday, he visited the protest site and assured the agitated villagers that the accused would be arrested at the earliest. Whether his promise will calm the outrage remains to be seen, but the people of Loharu are determined not to rest until justice is delivered.

Negligence at Every Step – Why Action Fell on the Police

The anger of Manisha’s family and villagers is not without reason. From the very beginning, police handling of the case was careless and unprofessional. When the family demanded CCTV footage from the school authorities, it was not given. Even when ASI Shakuntala was taken to the school by the family, the footage was still withheld, and the police failed to press harder. This reflected the lack of seriousness shown by the authorities.

The chain of negligence began on the night of August 11, when Manisha first went missing. Her family promptly informed the Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) team, hoping for quick action. Shockingly, instead of helping, they were told to go to the police station. When the family reached Loharu police station, no officer took their complaint seriously. Instead, Manisha herself was maligned, as though she was to blame for her own disappearance. On August 12, the police merely filed a perfunctory missing complaint without launching any search or investigation.

When Manisha’s body was discovered on August 13, the villagers had had enough. They immediately began a sit-in protest. The villagers demanded that the SP come to the spot, listen to their grievances, and take action against the ERV and the local police. Yet, the SP did not arrive, and no action was taken at that time. The people saw this as yet another insult added to their pain.

Events Leading to the Murder

Manisha was a young teacher who lived in Dhani Laxman and worked at a play school in Singhani. On August 11, she left for school but never returned home. Concerned, her family rushed to the school that night and alerted the ERV team. Instead of providing support, the ERV staff mocked them with insulting remarks, crushing their hopes of urgent help.

When they turned to the police station for assistance, the family was met with humiliation once again. Rather than filing an FIR, officers blamed Manisha herself and pushed the family out. They were told to simply “wait” rather than start a search operation. It was only on the next day, August 12, that Loharu police finally registered a missing person’s report.

The tragedy deepened on the morning of August 13, when Manisha’s body was found near a canal. Her family and villagers, enraged by both the brutality of the murder and the negligence of the police, blocked the Delhi–Pilani National Highway (709-E) in protest. Under pressure, an SIT (Special Investigation Team) was formed to look into the case. According to the family, Manisha had been attacked viciously—acid was poured on her face, her clothes were torn, and she was brutally murdered. So far, two separate post-mortems have been carried out to establish the facts.

New Twist in the Case: Suspicion of Rape Not Confirmed, Suicide Angle Emerges

From the very beginning, the condition of Manisha’s body raised suspicions. Looking at the state of her clothes, there were doubts that she might have been raped before being killed. However, the post-mortem conducted on August 13 did not confirm rape. The panel of doctors explained that the body was already highly decomposed and suggested that the post-mortem should be conducted again at PGI Rohtak.

Later, the body was indeed taken to PGI Rohtak, where the second post-mortem was performed. But once again, rape was not confirmed. While the investigation continued, disciplinary action was taken against the negligent officers. Three members of the ERV team and ASI Shakuntala were suspended, and SHO Ashok Kumar was sent to the police lines.

Appealing to the people, Rohtak Range IG Y. Poon Kumar urged the public not to fall for rumors. He assured that the police needed some time for a proper investigation and revealed that six separate teams were already working on the case.

Disappearance and Discovery of the Body

The story of Manisha’s disappearance and the shocking discovery of her body has become a turning point for Loharu. The young teacher from Singhani village, who taught at a play school, went missing on August 11. Despite the family’s desperate attempts, no help came from the authorities.

Two days later, on August 13, her body was found in a severely mutilated condition. What made the situation even more confusing was that in the initial police and medical reports, it was suggested that she might have consumed poison and committed suicide. The police even mentioned investigating the case based on the existence of a suicide note.

However, the brutal state of her body raised immediate suspicions. Acid burns, torn clothes, and mutilation suggested otherwise. With these doubts, the family and villagers refused to accept the suicide theory. They have been protesting continuously for several days, demanding justice and accountability from the authorities, and insisting that Manisha was the victim of a heinous crime.

Chief Minister’s Assurance: Culprits Will Not Be Spared

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini expressed deep grief over the death of Manisha. He stated, “Manisha was our daughter, and if anything wrong has happened to her, the culprits will not be spared under any circumstances.” The Chief Minister said that he is personally watching the progress of the case and is receiving regular reports at every stage of the investigation.

Following his instructions, Haryana DGP Shatrujit Kapoor removed Bhiwani SP from his post and disciplinary action was taken against several other police officers. With rising anger from political parties, social organizations, and the victim’s family, the Bhiwani Police arranged for a second post-mortem of Manisha’s body, which has now been completed and the report made public.

Investigation Findings Point to Suicide

The newly appointed Bhiwani SP, Sumit Kumar, has taken charge and is directly investigating the case. During the inquiry, it was found from police questioning and CCTV evidence that Manisha had gone to a shop selling fertilizers, seeds, and pesticides. There she purchased a pesticide called Monospray for ₹600, and her name was also noted in the shopkeeper’s register.

In addition, the viscera report has reportedly confirmed that Manisha consumed poison. On Monday, a suicide note surfaced. Later, the police clarified that this note had in fact been recovered on the very first day of investigation but was not disclosed earlier, as officials wanted to carefully check all aspects of the case before making it public.

Disturbing Condition of the Body

When her body was recovered, the condition shocked everyone. It was in a highly decomposed state. According to the reports, more than half of her body had been destroyed by unknown animals. What remained was barely a 5 cm layer of skin in some parts. Police sources also stated that there were no semen traces on her clothes or body, and there were no signs of acid or chemical injuries either.

It was the villagers of Singhani who first spotted her body in the fields. The sight sparked massive anger and protests across the state, with people strongly suspecting brutality in her death and continuing to demand strict punishment for those responsible.

Five Days Later, Police Still Empty-Handed – Family Refuses Funeral

The case of 18-year-old play school teacher Manisha has put the Haryana government in a tight spot. Even after five days of the incident, no accused has been identified. The family has refused to perform the funeral until justice is given.

Although the government transferred the SP and suspended five policemen from the Loharu police post, the failure to arrest the culprits has further angered the villagers and the family, who are carrying on their protest. Opposition leaders have also started raising questions about the poor state of law and order in Haryana.

The family had earlier rejected the post-mortem report from Civil Hospital, Bhiwani. The second post-mortem conducted in Rohtak confirmed that Manisha’s throat had been slit with a sharp weapon. Her eyes and several body parts were missing. So far, rape has not been confirmed.

Despite all these developments, the police remain clueless. With no progress in the investigation, villagers blocked the Delhi–Pilani National Highway on Saturday. Shops and markets in Loharu, Dhigawa, Behal, and Charkhi Dadri were closed. Candle marches were also held in Sohansra, Loharu, and other villages.

IG’s Meeting With Protest Committee

On Friday evening, Rohtak Range IG Y. Poon Kumar visited the crime scene in Singhani. Later, he held discussions with a 21-member committee at Dhigawa, where protests were taking place.

Committee member Kapoor Singh said openly that the negligence of the police had cost Manisha her life. Supporting the family, former minister J. P. Dalal assured them that justice would be delivered. He explained that the Chief Minister himself was monitoring the case, that the SP had already been replaced, and several police personnel suspended. He further added that if any policemen were found guilty during the investigation, even stricter action would be taken.

IG Y. Poon Kumar also confirmed that Bhiwani SP Manvir Singh, who had kept silent since the beginning of the case, had now been transferred. He said the exact cause of Manisha’s death would be clear only after the viscera report. He also promised that multiple police teams were working on every technical angle and assured the public that the culprits would soon be arrested.

Women Minister Shruti Choudhary Speaks

Cabinet Minister and Tosham MLA Shruti Choudhary also responded strongly. She declared, “No murderer will be spared. Manisha’s case is a painful incident, and the guilty will face the harshest punishment. Both Kiran Choudhary and I have spoken to the CM. As soon as the case came to his notice, he replaced the SP and suspended five policemen.”

She dismissed the opposition’s allegations and claimed that the Chief Minister had acted swiftly. However, former CM Bhupinder Hooda accused the Saini government of complete failure, alleging that criminals in Haryana had become fearless, that law and order had collapsed, and that ordinary citizens no longer felt safe.

In Dadri as well, protests took place against Manisha’s murder. Farmer leader Jagbir Ghasola and activist Krishan Phogat led demonstrations at Rose Garden before marching to Parshuram Chowk. Protesters accused both the government and the police of negligence and warned that if the culprits were not soon arrested and given the death penalty, a much larger agitation would begin. They declared that the injustice done to Manisha concerns the entire society and vowed to continue their fight until the guilty are hanged.

Digvijay Chautala Demands Justice

JJP youth leader Digvijay Chautala also spoke out, demanding justice for Manisha’s family while severely criticizing CM Nayab Saini. He said, “The Manisha murder case and the firing at artist Elvis Yadav’s house in Gurugram show that the pot of sins has overflowed in Haryana. The CM is weak and dances to decisions made in Delhi. Manisha’s murder is the last warning to this government—when tyranny crosses limits, change becomes inevitable.”

Chautala further remarked that CM Saini should take lessons from Haryana’s former strong administrators. He named Devi Lal, Bansi Lal, O. P. Chautala, and Bhajan Lal, urging that only by following their example could the Chief Minister hope to regain control.