How a swarm of flies helped catch a murder suspect in Madhya Pradesh

Dharam Singh's confession came after forensic evidence linked him to the crime.

In Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, flies helped police uncover a 19-year-old’s involvement in his uncle’s murder, a case where leads had initially run dry. Manoj Thakur, 26, was reported missing on October 30 and found dead in a field the next morning. Police initially questioned Dharam Singh, his nephew and last known companion, but released him due to lack of evidence or motive, Times of India reported.

According to police, Thakur had been with Singh on October 30, purchasing alcohol and sharing a meal. When Thakur failed to return, his family reported him missing, leading authorities to find his body in a nearby field the following morning. Investigators ruled out motives like robbery or personal animosity, and Singh maintained innocence, lacking clear evidence against him.

However, police later summoned Singh for a second round of questioning. It was during this session that officers noticed flies unusually attracted to Singh, prompting Officer Abhishek Payasi to request a forensic analysis of Singh’s shirt. The test detected traces of blood invisible to the naked eye. Confronted with the evidence, Singh confessed, explaining that he and Thakur had argued while intoxicated over the division of their bill, leading Singh to hit his uncle fatally with a wooden log.

Additional SP Sonali Dubey confirmed to Times of India, “The nephew was a prime suspect in Manoj Thakur’s murder, but during interrogation, he maintained his innocence.”

However, Singh's confession came after forensic evidence linked him to the crime. Police later recovered the murder weapon at the scene, while Singh was arrested and charged with his uncle's murder.