Crime: When the police did not register the report, the mother became a detective to find her missing son, such was the revelation that she was shocked to know.

pc: indianexpress

In 2015, Farida Khatoon's 17-year-old son left their home in suburban Mumbra in Maharashtra's Thane district, telling her to return in 10 minutes. When he did not return, a worried Khatoon reached the local police station, where officials quickly dismissed her concerns. They sent him back, saying, “He must have gone to Ajmer Dargah like other boys of his age.” But Khatoon knew that something was wrong.

Over the next few months, the 38-year-old single mother continued her search, chasing down clues and interviewing suspects until she solved the case – and along the way, another missing persons case.

On April 17, 2015, Sohail Qureshi had left his house in Amrit Nagar, Mumbra saying that he was returning after purchasing something. Three days later, Khatoon, her mother and a nurse from the government-run JJ Hospital in Mumbai went to the police station, but were turned back.

When no trace of Qureshi was found even after several days, Khatoon, who was separated from her husband, started investigating the case with the help of local journalist Mubeen Shaikh. Since most of Qureshi's friends lived in Rabale, the two went to the police station there. Rabale police officials asked Khatoon to check nearby jails.

Khatoon first called her relatives in Ajmer, but to no avail. She then checked the jails of Thane, Kalyan and Taloja – at times even waiting outside the jails for whole days, but to no avail. Refusing to give up, he visited children's homes in the area – and as a last resort, morgues. But no trace of Qureshi was found.

As the months passed, Khatoon took over work at JJ Hospital, where her other son was undergoing surgery and continued the search for her missing son.

In mid-September, Khatoon learned that Shabbir, a friend of Qureshi, was also missing since the same date. She went to meet Shabbir's mother Haseena, who confirmed the news. This incident worried Khatoon as she feared that both the boys had been murdered.

Khatoon talked to Qureshi's friends and got information about a common friend of Qureshi and Shabbir. When she met him and interrogated him, he indicated the involvement of two other common friends, Deepak Valmiki alias Sam and Mohammed Chaudhary alias Babu. Khatoon, Haseena and Shaikh told the Thane Crime Branch detailed information about the case and the names of the two people they suspected.

Eventually, the Crime Branch started investigating the case. Khatun's biggest fear had come true.

Police claimed that Valmiki and Chaudhary had allegedly murdered Qureshi and Shabbir. Police said that the duo first killed Shabbir because he was opposing Valmiki's relationship with his sister. Police said they suspected that Qureshi had told Shabbir about the affair, so they killed him too.

In November 2015, the accused led the mothers and police to a field in Turbhe, where they had buried the bodies of Qureshi and Shabbir, bringing Khatoon's search for her missing son to a painful end.