Fights over paternity led to crime: Toddler’s death unravels chilling murder by mother in Gujarat's Rajkot

RAJKOT: The mystery surrounding the discovery of a two-year-old boy's body last month has unraveled into a chilling case of murder, allegedly committed by his own mother.
Investigations revealed that she was driven by frustration over her husband's persistent suspicion that the child was not biologically his, and persistent fights over the issue.
When the toddler's body was found in a well on Kuvadva Road on February 23, the police initially detained the father for questioning. However, as the probe progressed, the evidence absolved him and exposed the mother's deception.
The police have now arrested 27-year-old Bhavna Bharwad for the murder of her son, Raydhan, based on a complaint filed by the child's father, Ranchhod Bharwad, at the Airport police station.
The case came to light after police recovered the boy's body from a well on the farm of Jayesh Bambhaniya, located along the Rajkot-Ahmedabad highway. Initially, the child's identity remained unknown, prompting the police to post his pictures on social media in an attempt to find his family. However, no leads emerged.
The breakthrough came when Bhavna's relatives from her paternal side approached Thorala police station, alleging that Raydhan had been murdered—not by Bhavna, but by Ranchhod, who had allegedly disposed of the body. The couple resided in the Thorala police station jurisdiction.
Following this claim, police summoned Ranchhod, a goods rickshaw driver, for questioning. During the interrogation, he admitted to frequent disputes with Bhavna over the child's parentage. Ranchhod suspected that Raydhan was not his biological son but the child of Bhavna's former lover.
In February, when Bhavna returned from her parental home, Ranchhod asked her to hand over the child to his "real father" before coming back to their house. However, Bhavna allegedly took a drastic step—she threw the toddler into a well.
Later, when Ranchhod asked about the child's whereabouts, Bhavna claimed she had given him to his "rightful parent."
Shortly after, Bhavna travelled to her parental home in Thangadh, Surendranagar district, where she fabricated a story, accusing Ranchhod of killing the child and disposing of the body. This led Bhavna's family to approach Rajkot's Thorala police station and file a missing person report for the child.
However, as police examined Ranchhod's version of events, they began to suspect foul play by Bhavna. She was summoned for questioning, and under sustained interrogation, she broke down and confessed—admitting that she had thrown Raydhan into the well, leading to his death.
Further investigation revealed that Bhavna was in a romantic relationship before her marriage to Ranchhod four years ago. She later gave birth to a baby boy, but Ranchhod always doubted that Raydhan was his child, suspecting Bhavna's former lover to be the father.
The Airport police are now conducting further investigations to determine whether Bhavna acted alone or if someone assisted her in committing the crime.