Crime Branch says Siddhi Naik case is not closed yet

Crime Branch on Tuesday refuted rumours circulating on social media that the sensational Siddhi Naik case has been closed.

A senior police officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the case is in the pending list and the investigation is ongoing. It is not closed yet, he added.

So far, the police have examined 53 people in the matter, which was registered as a murder case in January 2022, almost five months after the girl's semi-nude body was found on Calangute shore.

Nineteen-year-old, Siddhi, who had gone missing a day prior in mysterious circumstances, was found dead on Calangute beach on August 12, 2021, setting off a clamour across Goa to register the case as murder.

The girl's death set off rumours sending police teams in all directions to solve the mystery behind the unfortunate incident, which had its echoes even in the Goa Legislative Assembly.