Jhanvi Kukreja Murder Case: Victim’s Mother Moves Bombay HC Against Acquittal Of Daughter’s Childhood Friend
Mother of murder victim Jhanvi Kukreja challenges acquittal of co-accused Diya Padalkar in Bombay High Court, following life sentence for main accused Shree Ambadas Jogdhankar.
Published : March 30, 2026 at 8:42 PM IST
Mumbai: Nidhi Kukreja, mother of 19-year-old murder victim Jhanvi Kukreja, has challenged the acquittal of co-accused Diya Padalkar in the Bombay High Court. This comes nearly two months after a sessions court verdict, which also sentenced the main accused, 26-year-old Shree Ambadas Jogdhankar, to life imprisonment for the murder.
On January 31, Special Judge of the Mumbai Sessions Court, Satyanarayan Navandar, sentenced Jogdhankar to life imprisonment for the murder of Jhanvi, a Santacruz resident, during a New Year’s Eve party in the early hours of January 1, 2021. The court, however, acquitted Padalkar, Jhanvi’s childhood friend, citing a lack of concrete evidence.
In response to the verdict, Nidhi filed a petition alleging that Padalkar was equally complicit in the murder as Jogdhankar was. Per the details of the case, a total of 12 people, including five young women, attended that New Year's Eve party, organised by a common friend, Yash Ahuja, under a ‘BYOB' (Bring Your Own Booze) theme, as each had to bring their own alcohol, which they wished to consume.
According to Nidhi, the family was celebrating Jhanvi’s father, Prakash Kukreja’s, birthday on the night of December 31, 2020. At midnight, everyone exchanged New Year’s greetings, and at approximately 12:05 AM, the accused, Jogdhankar and Padalkar, arrived at their home and urged Jhanvi to accompany them to another party.
As Nidhi permitted Jhanvi, the trio headed to Bhagwati Heights in Khar, where the party was held on the rooftop.
Police alleged that the murder took place after an argument turned violent at the party when Jhanvi objected to Jogdhankar getting physically close to Padalkar, who was also her neighbour. The trio reportedly moved towards the staircase, where Jhanvi was assaulted and dragged down the steps, leading to her death.
After detailed investigations and the arrest of Jogdhankar on March 31, 2021, the Mumbai Police filed a chargesheet in the Mumbai Sessions Court against Padalkar and Jogdhankar.
The chargesheet alleged that the two had conspired to murder Jhanvi. Although there were no eyewitnesses present at the time of the murder, the police claimed they had based their conclusions on investigations, forensic reports, statements from party attendees and the resulting circumstantial evidence that was sufficient to prove the guilt of the accused.
The police have also recorded the statements of a total of 74 witnesses in their chargesheet. This includes the statements of 10 experts from the forensic laboratory, along with the attached reports of various tests conducted by them. Per officials, some witnesses stated that, before the incident, they had seen Jogdhankar and Padalkar descending the staircase together, while Jhanvi was seen crying on the terrace.
Furthermore, the police have included CCTV footage in the chargesheet showing the prime accused, Jogdhankar, exiting the building in blood-stained clothes after the incident. However, claiming that they had merely stumbled on the staircase, Jogdhankar sought medical treatment the following day at Lokmanya Tilak Hospital in Sion, while Padalkar received treatment at Hinduja Hospital.
Earlier this year, Jhanvi’s friend, Jogdhankar, was found guilty of her murder and sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sessions Court; however, Padalkar was let off. Hearing on this petition filed by the Kukreja family in the High Court challenging this acquittal is expected to commence shortly.
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