Under the soft orange wash of a Rishikesh dusk, the air held its breath. A girl, nineteen, bright-eyed, new to the city and newer still to her first job, walked the narrow paths of Vanantra Resort, hemmed in by forest on one side and the rush of the Ganga canal on the other. It was the kind of evening where the world feels hushed, the kind where ordinary things--like a phone ringing unanswered or a light flickering on and off--begin to feel loaded with meaning. And for days after that dusk, the only thing louder than the silence surrounding her absence was the rising voice of a father searching for his daughter, denied help at every turn. No FIR. No urgency. Just a closed door at every police station he visited. The roads he walked were met with apathy, even as each hour that passed pulled Ankita further from reach. By the time the news broke, it had already been six days. Six days of unanswered questions. Six days of phone calls met with lies. Six days before the Ganga revealed what the system tried to bury. This is the story of that Rishikesh resort, that 2022 evening, and that girl. This is the story of Ankita Bhandari.
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156. The Katra Killings
A chill wind whispered through the sugarcane fields of Uttar Pradesh, carrying with it the scent of rigid traditions belonging to a bygone era. In villages where life moved with the seasons and ancient customs held strong, a new tension was starting to build. For generations, the idea of freedom for women, the freedom to choose, to be, to experience the world around them as men would, was a forbidden thought, a dangerous secret. But in 2014, as the world outside moved faster, even these quiet places began to feel a tremor of defiance. It was a time when a simple phone could open up a world of possibilities, and with it, a rush of fear and anger. In a world desperate to control, some dared to dream of freedom, and for two young girls, that dream would become a terrible nightmare. This is the story of that little village in Uttar Pradesh and its open fields. This is the story of Padma and Lalli.
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Delhi's Darkest Secret: The Burari Mass Suicide [VIDEO]
New Delhi, India's capital and a city of 30 million people is infamous for being the suicide capital of the world. Yet the case that I have for you today still gives me and countless other Delhi residents sleepless nights. This is the story of a banyan tree, a happy seemingly home, a mass suicide of 11, and a shared secret nobody still fully understands to this day. This is the Burari case.For extra episodes, early access, silly bloopers, subscribe at: https://www.patreon.com/thedesistudios or join our YouTube family at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnbfV0YvrxWMq3h0hmo13Jg/joinFor fastest updates, follow our socials at: https://www.instagram.com/desicrime/Aryaan https://www.instagram.com/aryaanmisra/Aishwarya https://www.instagram.com/aishwaryasinghs/To buy Desi Studios merch, visit: https://kadakmerch.com/collections/desi-studios
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155. The Brutal Murder of Saman Abbas
"If you don’t hear from me… they’ve killed me.” Those were a girl’s words. Not in a dramatic diary entry, not to a friend over a cappucino, but in a cold, trembling text to the boy she loved. She was eighteen. Eighteen and afraid — of the very people who gave her life. So when the sun rose on a quiet field in northern Italy nearly six months later, and a search dog started barking over a shallow patch of soil — no one said it out loud, but everyone standing there already knew whose body they were about to find. The spot was ordinary — the edge of a disused farmhouse, flanked by crop lines and fencing. But from under that earth came bone. Then plastic. Then hair. And in that moment, a message that once sounded like fear… became a prophecy. This is the story of an honor killing that shook Italy. This is the story of Saman Abbas.
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Chai & Chithi 30 | The Haunted Kindergarten | SPECIAL EPISODE
To mark 5 years of Desi Crime, here is a special episode of Chai & Chithi. We bring to you the scariest, eeriest, most terrifying tales, sent in to us by our listeners, all while we recount some of our most pivotal moments at Desi Crime. From discussing its inception, to its successes, and its pitfalls along the way, Aishwarya and Aryaan welcome you to the 5 years anniversary special.For extra episodes, early access, silly bloopers, subscribe at: https://www.patreon.com/thedesistudios or join our YouTube family https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnbfV0YvrxWMq3h0hmo13Jg/joinFor fastest updates, follow our socials at: https://www.instagram.com/desicrime/Aryaan https://www.instagram.com/aryaanmisra/Aishwarya https://www.instagram.com/aishwaryasinghs/To buy Desi Studios merch, visit: https://kadakmerch.com/collections/desi-studios
Desi Killers, Desi Kidnappers, Desi Criminals - find them here. Brought to you by Aryaan Misra and Aishwarya Singh, powered by The Desi Studios. We are your one stop shop for all things Desi, and all things Crazy. Support the work we do by becoming a patron: https://www.patreon.com/thedesistudios Tooooooooo much of true crime is centered around America - New York murder this and Chicago Killer that. What about the Delhi Dons and Karachi killers and Bangladeshi Burglars?! If you are tired of the the same-old American murderer, British killer, Australian kidnapper, Canadian stalker… NO MORE! The Desi Crime Podcast brings DESI crimes. From India, Pakistan, Nepal and other brown communities, we’ll bring you cases that can only be described as Desi. Crimes that take place in the Indian subcontinent aren’t remotely similar to Western crimes— desi crimes are gory, complicated, corrupt and hardly documented. After thorough research on the most sinister cases, we’ll take you on a bumpy, jaw dropping ride around South Asia. Stay Crazy. Stay Desi.
South Africa