A woman presumed dead for 18 months has returned home in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur district, even as four men arrested for her alleged murder remain in custody.

Lalita Bai, 35, from Navali village, went missing in September 2023, prompting her family to file a missing person’s report at the Gandhi Sagar police station. Shortly after, her relatives identified a mutilated body, believing it to be hers based on a tattoo and a black string on the leg. The family performed the last rites, and authorities arrested four suspects.

However, Lalita has now revealed that she had voluntarily left with a man named Shahrukh and traveled to Bhanpura. Unbeknownst to her, she was later sold for ₹5 lakh to another man with the same name. She was then taken to Kota, Rajasthan, where she remained for nearly 18 months before managing to escape and return home.

“I ran away as soon as I got the chance. I didn’t have a mobile phone, so I couldn’t contact my family,” she told the police.

Following her return, police have arrested four individuals involved in luring her. Meanwhile, authorities have also alerted Thandla police, where the four men previously accused of her murder are still imprisoned.

Officials have now launched an investigation to verify Lalita’s identity. “A medical examination and DNA test will be conducted, along with fresh witness statements,” said Jhabua SP Padmavilochan Shukla, adding that only after a thorough probe will they confirm if she is indeed the same woman presumed dead.