THE HUMAN FOOT

                           

NOTE: This story is based on Author’s fiction and it doesn’t apply to any historical references or real-life incidents.

FEBRUARY 20, 2007

MARINA BEACH, CHENNAI

A little girl and her family went to a beach vocation to Marina Beach in Chennai. When they went there, they started spending their holidays happily and when they are enjoying their vacation and that little girl was playing on the beachside. While playing, she saw a shoe there.

When she picked up the shoe for fun, the shoe was little heavy. So she looked what was inside that shoe. The socks inside the shoe was very wet. Further, she saw a human foot in a decomposing stage, and got scared. So she put that shoe down and ran to her parents.

She told her parents about that shoe. Now her parents went to that place and checked that shoe. Just like the girl said, they saw a shoe with human foot. They were shocked and informed the police immediately and ACP Tejas(from CID branch) came there within no time.

Tejas saw the crime scene and was so suspicious about it.

“How did a single foot came there? Who did this? Whose foot was it?” Like this lot of questions came inside him. He started the investigation about this mysterious foot with his teammate Abinesh.

Without even leaving a small details, they collected the samples, videos, photos with the help of the forensic team. After that Tejas started investigating the little girl and her family.

“Why did you come here? When did you see this?” After completing the basic enquiries, he started searching the beach side for other clue and evidences. But they didn’t get any evidence from it. Abinesh(CID department- Tejas’s teammate) took the shoe to the forensic lab, now.

By collecting the DNA samples of that foot, Tejas and Abinesh started the work to find out the victim and the killer. When they were testing the details of the foot, without anyone’s expectation, in the same week as the first foot was found that is, February 26, 2007.

About 100 kilometers south from the first foot was found, when a couple was hiking at Bay of Bengal, they saw a shoe on the shore. So the couples took a stick in their hand and pushed the shoe with it. Initially, they thought that it was just the shoe which was hit by the wave currents. Later, they noticed something different about that shoe while pushing.

They were shocked to see that these shoe also have a human foot and informed the local police immediately. Now ACP Rishi Khanna(ACP- CID Branch), who had been posted in that place came there and collected the shoes. He sent them to the lab.

After investigating the couple, he and his team searched for other evidence. Since two mysterious human foot were discovered in one week, this case was very challenging to Rishi, Abinesh and Tejas.

Then they prepared for a press conference. In that, they told about the two human foot and added: “Both are size 12 male shoe. That two human foot belonged to two victims. That too, it was right side of the foot.”

Rishi said: “Very interesting thing in this is, maximum two shoes of same size, and in that there was 2 people’s right leg. What makes this even more interesting is, maximum two shoes of same size. The possibility of getting both the right side shoes is very low. So this case is going to be a very challenging case for us.” They also asked for public help.

“If you have any information about this, please contact us directly.” The DGP and Dinesh Nagamanickam said to the media and public.

Now all the people who have heard about this case started to get very scared. They began to fear that this might be the work of a serial killer.

Meanwhile, those two human feet found at the crime scene, was being checked by the forensic department. To figure out who those human feet belong to, they started to test those feet. Because if they find out whose human feet was that, with the crime motive they can find the victim and the killer. Since, it will be very easy to figure out whose human feet are those.

When the test is going on one side, Tejas, Rishi Khanna and Abinesh investigated: “How did the victims died? When they died?”

Since this case was a very mysterious case, many experts like anthropologist, entomologist, were also invited to help them in the investigation.

“Hey Tejas. Why do we need these expert’s help?” asked Abinesh and Rishi Khanna.

“Since those two human feet were found in the sea. How many days did that body stayed in the ocean? When did the body started decomposing? Why did those feet are separated from that body? How does a body decomposition happen? And what is the difference between decomposition on land and sea? For this, only these experts have the ability to help us.” Tejas said and smoked a cigar.

Meanwhile, Manickavalli continuously called Rishi Khanna for more than 8 times. But, he hanged the call. Since, it’s a strict order from Tejas and Abinesh. Now, the team started finding this case from different angles.

“Sir. Why should we research about decomposition? Is that necessary?” Abinesh questioned the experts.

“There is a lot of difference between the decomposition that usually happens on land and sea, Abinesh. The temperature level in the ocean is below 10 feet. So there will also be some difference. So because of this, not only it affects the decomposition rate, but also bring lot of confusion in the investigation details. That’s why we and the investigators are doing very deep research.” An expert explained to Abinesh.

After those two feet were done autopsy, hard tissues and bone samples were collected for the DNA test. After the DNA was taken, if there is even a 60% DNA match with the database they already have. By collecting the DNA of their family members, the trio thought it’s easy to find out who the victims are.

When the DNA process is going on one side, Tejas, Rishi Khanna and Abinesh started looking for victims on the other side.

“From where those two human feet was found?” They started taking all the past events/records- like flight crash, missing case, boat crash, etc…

They are taking all these information because no one know whose human feet that is.

“Tejas. We can’t compare those DNA with all the people’s DNA in this country” said Rishi.

“But that’s the only way” said Tejas to which, Abinesh stared at him in frustration. At the same time, when Manicka called Rishi, he attended the call and asked: “What’s your problem di? Idiot. I won’t come for the next three to four days. Please don’t call again and again. Already I am in tension.”

Hanging the call, he said: “Cha.” Now, Rishi tried to explain the difficulties of comparing those DNA to Tejas by telling him: “Look Tejas. It may take several months to match all the people’s DNA in our country. Instead of testing everyone’s DNA, the DNA of the accident victims who happened in that area can easily be found. With that we can solve this case soon.”

Tejas agreed with this and went along with Rishi to investigate the accident. At that time, they came to know about a helicopter crash on December 2005 with the help of a police record.

In that month, five people took a flight and went early in the morning. But they never came back. In a short time, their communication was also cut.

After that, no information about them was available for two days. So the rescue team has made a search operation plan. But after searching for two consecutive days, they were nowhere to be found. But the next day, out of the five missing people, only one’s body washed ashore. But five months since the incident, that helicopter was recovered from 240 feet from under the sea. But there is no body there. The guys were glad that they got a clue.

Meanwhile, Rishi seeks the permission of Tejas to see Manickavalli and his 3-months old daughter in the house. He eventually agreed and said: “Take care of your wife da. Don’t be too harsh with her.”

He goes to the house and sees Manickavalli crying. Going near to her, Rishi said in a low tone: “Manicka.” When he tried to hold her arms gently, she pushed him asides and said: “Don’t come near to me da. As you are busy with your own duty la. Go and do that.”

“Sorry di. I was in tension that time. You continuously called me. That’s why I behaved like such.” Rishi said and wiped her tears.

With a smile, she said: “Okay. Did you have your dinner?”

“No.” As he said, she brought fish in a plate. After eating that, Rishi said: “Hey. Fish is nice today.” But, Manicka mocked him by telling: “You will get angry on one day. Then, you will tell like this to impress me. Hmm…”

After washing his hands, he came near to Manicka. But, she moved from him due to which he forcibly pulled her and kissed her neck. Pulling her hips, Rishi said: “Hey. Won’t you forgive me. Putting over scene.”

“Don’t Rishi. Please.” She said. But, he kissed her more passionately due to which, Manicka said: “Papa is sleeping Rishi. Have to see her.”

“I know that she’s sleeping.” The next day, Rishi and Manicka were sleeping in a blanket after having sex, the previous night.

ONE YEAR LATER

When no one knows what had happened to the victims of the helicopter crash, exactly after one year since the incident, the helicopter victim’s family members came to know the news of these mysterious feet. So they came and met Tejas. They thought that maybe it’s the feet of helicopter crash victims and started to question.

From the place where the helicopter crashed, these feet were found exactly 100 kilometers away. Hence, Tejas, Abinesh and Rishi doubted and thought: “Maybe those two feet that we found was the foot of the helicopter crash victims.”

Until now the family members of the victims, did not even know what was going with them and were not at ease. Immediately after hearing this news, all of them came forward and gave their DNA samples to know that those feet belong to their family members. They were very curious.

Now they took the DNA of those family members who disappeared in the helicopter crash and sent it to check whether it matches the DNA of the foot.

8 AUGUST 2008

TRIVANDRUM

While this investigation is going on, on 8^th August 2008, two people who went for boating in Arabian Sea in Kanniyakumari, found another shoe with a foot. It was discovered 10 kilometers away from the place where the second shoe was found. Now the trio and the police department were very suspicious.

Since the media and opposition party accused the lethargic nature of police department, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu lashed at the DGP by asking: “I am ashamed to say that this is happening under my governance, DGP sir. Where the hell are those CID officers and your police department, up to? They are all talk! Only fit for a desk job and put files.”

Disappointed, DGP holds a meeting with CID department and other police officers. DGP asked: “So how far have this case progressed?”

Dinesh submits the file and a pen drive to the DGP. As the PPT slide is playing, Tejas stood up and went near the PPT.

He said: “Sir. These three mysterious feet which was discovered in the last six months, was men’s right feet. When those two human feet were found we thought it was a co-incident. But when the third foot is also the right foot, our suspicion started increasing.”

“Finally, what’s your decision about this case? Will you solve this?” asked Dinesh to which, Abinesh and Rishi replied: “Sir. We started to investigate deeper, now.”

The police officers laughed upon hearing this, which angered Tejas. But, he controlled his temperament.

DGP listened everything and said: “Order, order.” Turning to Tejas, he told: “Tejas. CM ordered to solve this case quickly. Do something and solve this case quickly.”

“Okay sir” said Tejas, Rishi and Abinesh.

Meanwhile, fear began to rise among the people after the third foot was found. They thought for sure that it must be a serial killer. Adding to that fear, the sample DNA test result has not yet arrived. Since, all those discovered human feet, was in a highly decomposable stage. So the DNA sample collection was very difficult and the collected DNA samples, was to be matched with many samples.

Beyond these human feet, no other clue or evidence was found. Now Tejas started to think in a different way and asked Rishi: “Rishi. Where was that shoe manufactured? And where was it distributed. We have to collect these details.”

As per the instructions of Rishi, Abinesh started collecting all the details. By investigating the information about that shoe, the manufacture and distribution time of that shoe, Tejas hoped that he can get answer for the question- When did the victims disappeared? When was they last seen by someone?” From that he and the team thought of finding something out of it.

They sent the enclosed ID number to the shoe manufacturer. Shortly after that was sent, the manufacturer sent all the details. In the details, he said: “Where was the shoe manufactured and where was it distributed!”

The report which was sent to Tejas was read by Rishi. He said: “Amongst the three shoes which was available so far, two shoes are sold in North America and one in India.”

After this information was found, Tejas and Abinesh began to gain hope. Because until now, they do not even know where the victims belong to. But now they came to know where the shoe is distributed.

With that by taking a list of those who have gone missing in that area

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, Tejas looked at Abinesh and said: “Abinesh. Get their exact location? Get to know who saw them last? Compare their family member’s DNA. We can easily filter from it.”

Every time with the new clues, in the process of finding out who the victims are, the database to DNA began to grow. With all the ways, Tejas and the police did everything they could to find out whose the human foot is.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2008

Meanwhile on September 23, 2008, exactly 40 kilometers away from Arabian Sea of Kanniyakumari, a man went for a walk with his dog. Suddenly the dog starts behaving very strangely. Not only that, the dog left him and started running away by looking at something. 

After observing the behavior of the dog, there is something wrong. So he starts running after the dog. Finally the dog went and stopped near a shoe.

“Why the dog is behaving unusually by looking at a normal shoe?” The man thought. He picked up that shoe to see what was inside it. He was shocked to see that a human foot in that shoe was in the decomposing stage. Now Tejas came there. He took that shoe and send it to the lab for testing.

When they tested the shoe, the expert came and said: “Sir. This time there is a shocking result.”

“What’s the result sir?” Tejas and Rishi asked. They opened their cigarette packs to smoke a cigar, before he came. So, they put it asides to know the result.

“All the shoes that have been discovered so far belongs to a male. But in this shoe which was found now, was a female foot shoe sir.” Now this case started to confuse everyone’s head. Tejas and the police started to intensify the investigation of this female foot instead of the male foot.

Tejas thought that: “It’s very easy to find this female foot instead of identifying the male foot.” The reason for their thought is it was the BC Cancer research center there. They had the female DNA samples of half of the country’s population. So if they went with that data, instead of finding the male victims, finding female victims is very easy. With the samples at this center, prior to this, the police department have discovered many cases with this center. Hence, Tejas, Rishi and Abinesh thought that they can find it like that.

JANUARY 16, 2009

KANNIYAKUMARI

When this test is going, one kilometer away from the sea (where the fourth foot was found), the next foot was discovered in another place. When a couple went on a walk on the sea in Kanniyakumari, they saw a shoe washed away by the shore. When they took the shoe in their hand, they were shocked to see a human foot in it.

Immediately they informed the police. The police came there along with Tejas, Abinesh and Rishi. They collected the shoe and sent it to Chennai lab. At this time, Tejas couldn’t manage this pressure.

He was in a very confused state.

“Tejas. What happened?” Rishi asked to which, he angrily said: “I’m almost losing my sense da. Almost a year, five human feet were found at different distances along the seashore. But till now not even one person was identified. We don’t know who the killer is. We don’t know who the victim is.”

While telling this, Rishi thought: “Hey Tejas. Wait a minute.” Thinking for a while, he asked: “Why can’t we check if there’s any connection between those five foot?”

Just then a report came from the lab, when they were discussing this. In the report, they said: “This fifth foot belongs to a male. But it is not a right foot. It is left foot.” Simultaneously, the helicopter crash and the victim’s DNA sample report also came. 

Unfortunately no DNA matched. The investigation team(Rishi, Abinesh and Tejas), police department and the forensic team thought, “All the foot which was found was right foot. The foot which was found now is a left foot.” So they started to check whether the left foot matches with other right toot.

Now it was found that, the fifth and third foot belongs to the same victim. But, the police had another doubt.

“How did the same victim foot was found in a different place and time?”

The experts said: “It can be the sea current, that is, sea waves.”

When the research is going on, after two days since the fifth foot was found, on January 18, 2009, another shoe was found in North Chennai’s Bay of Bengal. But the foot found was not a human foot. It was an animal foot.

“Maybe to prank this case, or because of the failed DNA test, someone who was angry at the investigation team, have done it purposely sir” said a police officer to Dinesh.

JANUARY 25, 2010

WASHINGTON

Meanwhile another shoe was found at a beach in Washington. It was the first shoe found out of India. After that, on February 11, 2010, when a couple went on a walk near Fraser river, they saw a shoe washed away near the shore. Immediately the couples informed the police in Washington.

When the police came there and checked it, there was a shoe inside it. When it was sent to the lab for checking, it was identified as a female shoe. This foot matches with the fourth foot.

“So among the six foots found, four foot belong to two victims. Beyond that no clue or information was found” said the police department, who got the information from Washington police.

SEVEN YEARS LATER

From 2007 to 2010, police and CID found nearly six mysterious foot in and around Tamil Nadu. But no matter how hard they try, they couldn’t solve the case.

“Whose foot is that? Who did like this? Why did they do this? What is the reason for this type of mysterious foot found one after another?” The police and Tejas had no answer to all these questions.

But the investigation continued after that and the days also started moving. Almost in the next seven years, at different places and in different times, another 15 human feet were washed away in the shore in a mysterious way. Now a total of twenty-one legs have been found in different locations in Tamil Nadu. But in that twenty-one legs that were found till then, who is the victim? And who is responsible for all this? The police couldn’t find it out.

When this case gets very complicated, police got a very important lead. When police tracked down the lead, they confirmed the identity of a victim family. In between the investigation, Rishi, Tejas and Abinesh left from the case due to it’s complication. So, Dinesh took full responsibility to investigate this case.

DECEMBER 2017

A lady named Anila, filed a missing complaint to the police about her 22-years old son Adhithya Sakthivel. After receiving the complaint, police started investigating about him. Initially police asked Anila, “How did your son went missing? Do you have doubts on anyone? What was your boy’s state of mind before he went missing? Was he in any kind of trouble?”

Anila said: “Sir. Me and my son was living very happily. But after Adhithya finished schooling, and joined college, he made some wrong friends and started to drink and use drugs. He became addicted to very wrong habits and for that he has gone to jail many times sir. But after that in 2016, Adhithya’s behavior totally changed sir. He was in depression. I don’t know what the reason is. So I was afraid that something might happen to him at some point. Hence, I arranged some accommodation out of the house sir.”

“Why?”

“Sir. It is better for Adhithya to stay with his friends than me. So I did like this sir. I made him to stay in his friend Andrews’s place.” Hearing this, the police thought that Andrews might have known about him. They started searching him.

When the police found Andrew, they asked him: “Where is Adhithya? When did you last see him and where did you see him?”

The things which Andrews told the police were very confusing. He said: “Sir. Adhithya’s mother met me some days ago. She said that he was in depression and also said that he was in some trouble and there is a lot of chance for him to come out of depression when he is with us. So she asked me to let Adhithya stay with me for few days and I also accepted it for Adhithya’s sake.”

“What happened after that? How was his behavior?”

“He was quiet only for few days sir. Then his activity started to change totally.”

“I don’t understand what you are saying.”

“Sir. One day I went out to buy some groceries. But when I returned, Adhithya came with lots of injuries in his body like someone hit him. I asked him what had happened. But he didn’t say anything. So me and my next roommate took him to the hospital. There his wound was treated and stitched. But when he came to our room, the room was fully messed up. It looked like someone has smashed it purposefully. We didn’t take it to the mind and started cleaning the room. After some days, me and my friends went out to buy some groceries. But when we returned, Adhithya was not there. That was the last day we saw him sir.”

Andrews said everything to the police without even leaving a thing. Now when the police was searching for some other clues, Adhithya’s mother Anila thought that the police investigation was too slow. So she appointed a private detective to find her son.

The two detectives- Sanjay Kumar and Kiran, who was appointed by her, found new leads in the case. When the Anila inquired Sanjay Kumar about Adhithya, what he said made everyone more confused.

He said: “Sometimes, Andrews and Adhithya will fight a lot. One day, when I went to Andrews’s room, I saw some blood stains in his room.” So, Anila informed the police about this.

Police also went to Andrews’s room and started searching the room. When they were checking, in that room’s wall, Andrews’s bed, carpet, closet and windows like that they saw some blood stains. Now they collected the blood stain samples and sent them for the DNA testing.

It was perfectly matched with Adhithya’s DNA. When the police inquired about this to Andrew, he said: “I already said know sir. One day, when I went out and returned his body was full of injuries. His body was fully covered with blood. That stain is this sir.”

Since he had given this statement already to the police, they couldn’t investigate Andrew more than this and couldn’t do anything about it.

“Madam. None of us know whether Adhithya ran away or died. So no action can be taken on this case against Andrew mam. Sorry.” The police said when Adhithya’s mother came to inquire the case progress.

“There’s no other alternative way to find my son ah sir? Is everything over?” asked Anila to which, the officer said: “If Adhithya’s body was found, with that we can confirm whether it is a suicide or murder madam. With that, we could have taken the case to the next level.” 

Since there is no improvement in this case for a long time, and since there is no leads, they left this case aside.

TWO YEARS LATER

JANUARY 1, 2019

Police found another shoe washed away in the shore of Kanniyakumari. The shocking thing in this is, the missing Adhithya’s DNA and the foot’s DNA, was matched 100%.

“Now it was confirmed that Adhithya was dead. But we will know whether it is a suicide or murder only if the body was found.” The police said to his fellow constable and added: “Not only that, it has been two years since Adhithya was missing.”

So police said that they couldn’t say anything confirm. In that twenty one feet which was found since 2007, this Adhithya’s case was the only case which was detail known by the police. In that also, police couldn’t find it whether it was a suicide or a murder.

The DNA samples of all the foot, has been compared to all the people’s DNA in India. When they matched it, the 12^th and 18^th foot victims was identified. Though they found the victims, when the police enquired about their depth, they couldn’t find it out. So till now, only three of them was identified.

When they raised question about the other victims, the police said: “In December 2004, a huge tsunami occurred, right? In that lots of people died and that tsunami was the biggest natural disaster of all. The tsunami which occurred in the Indian Ocean made a huge impact and those who died in that tsunami their bodies was not retrieved till now. So rest of the foot belong to the victims of that tsunami.”

Though police said like this, a lot of theories has been said about it. In that question that was asked about this case, the most important question is: “Why did the foot alone washed away to the shore? Why the body was not found?”

When they asked about this to the police, they said: “Shoe has a floating property. So when the body start to decompose in the underwater, the other organism eat that body, the body parts will start to detach and the body parts will settle there itself most of the time. But since the shoe density is low, it will start to float. So that is why the shoe alone washed away to the shore.” 

EPILOGUE

The question might come to you also. So readers. What do you think about this? Is this a doing of a serial killer or a suicide victim’s body? Or is that belong to the natural disaster like said by the police? What do you think about this case which made the country and people crazy? Comment your opinions without forgetting.