'No Outsider Used Phone': Cops on 'Beheading' Text Before Bhopal Student's Death

The forensic analysis of Nishank’s phone has ruled out any outside tampering with his phone.

No one tampered with the phone of engineering student Nishank Rathore whose father received a beheading message minutes before he died.

(Photo altered by Vibhushita Singh/The Quint)

On the day of his death, a mysterious message sent from his mobile phone to his father, about 'beheading' as a punishment for insulting Prophet Muhammad, had sparked off speculation of religious killing of engineering student Nishank Rathore near Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal.

However, the forensic analysis has ruled out usage of the phone by any outsider, thus buttressing the police claim of the death being a case of suicide as opposed to the widespread rumour of religious killing.

“The forensic analysis of Nishank’s phone ruled out any outside tampering with his phone. It is clear after the analysis of the digital footprint in the phone that no outsider has used the phone.”

Vikas Kumar Shahwal, Superintendent of Police, Raisen district

Nishank was an engineering student in Bhopal and was found dead – cut off at torso – on the railway tracks near the Barkhedi area of Raisen district on the evening of Sunday, 24 July.

Police recovered his mobile phone near the body and a two-wheeler parked nearby.

A WhatsApp message sent from Nishank's mobile phone to his father Umashankar and a social media post shared minutes before his death had warned of "beheading those who insult the Prophet."

What We Know Now

In the days after his death, police investigation revealed that Nishank was alone in the final hours of his death, and wasn't being chased or followed by anyone.

The photo posted on social media (with the messages of beheading those who insult the Prophet) was, in fact, edited on his phone between 5:24 pm-5:28 pm, barely an hour before he was found dead, Shahwal told The Quint, adding that there were no indications of any brute force entry used to unlock the phone.

Police sources also said that the digital search history on Nishank’s phone contained text related to the 'beheading punishment' and was similar to the text sent to his father and the one posted on social media.

The probe also revealed that Nishank was under pressure due to multiple loans he had taken and had also been investing in the share market and cryptocurrencies.

What Sparked Off Religious Killing Speculations?

Nishank Rathore's friends and family told The Quint that he showed no signs of distress. However, he was found dead hours after he left his friend Raj Raghuvanshi’s house on the afternoon of 24 July.

On the morning of 25 July, speculations of the religious killing of Nishank Rathore took off after the message received by his father and the Instagram story posted from Nishank’s account surfaced. The WhatsApp text, as well as the social media post, contained messages of beheading those who insulted the Prophet.

Nishank’s father and family members denied the allegations of suicide and demanded an enquiry into the matter. Following this, an SIT was constituted to probe the death.

"I received an absurd text at 5:44 pm. I instantly called my daughters and told them about the text. My daughters said that they saw a similar text with a photo on Nishank's social media…. He couldn't have committed suicide. He was not that kind of a boy."

Nishank's father Umashankar Rathore

No Sign of Foul Play in Nishank's Death, Say Police

Based on the preliminary investigation and the findings of the initial autopsy report, the police suspected it to be a case of suicide. However, the WhatsApp message to Nishank’s father and social media posts were still a mystery.

Talking to The Quint, Amrit Singh Meena, the head of the SIT probing the matter, said that there is no evidence suggesting the presence of anyone during the final hours or Nishank Rathore and nothing suggests foul play in his death.

"We have been saying this from day 1 and we still say that there are no signs of murder. He was alone in the hours leading up to his death, no other person's presence has come up in the enquiry so far. There was no one seen chasing him or following him. There are no signs of any tussle, his upper body has no marks of any fighting or abuse. We haven’t found any single evidence to indicate the presence of anyone with Nishank in the hours leading to his death."

Amrit Singh Meena, SIT head

According to the police, Nishank was involved in share market and cryptocurrency transactions and had taken multiple loans from his friends, as well as from the online apps providing 'easy loans.'

Police also mentioned that Nishank had taken money separately from his father and his sister under the pretext of college fees. However, he wasn't attending college for the last one and half months.