2 min readFeb 1, 2026 03:40 PM IST
BEFORE THE judge took his seat in courtroom number 55 of the Mumbai City Civil and Sessions Court on Saturday, Nidhi Kukreja had already arrived. She sat quietly, waiting for the verdict in the murder case of her 19-year-old daughter Jhanvi.
Since 2021, she has been among the most regular attendees at the hearings, closely following the proceedings, speaking to the special public prosecutor and trying to understand every stage of the trial, unable to put behind her the night her elder daughter was killed.
On December 31, 2020, Jhanvi, then a psychology student, had gone out for a New Year’s Eve party with two friends Diya Padalkar, her childhood friend who lived in the same building, and Shree Jogdhankar. The party on the terrace of a friend’s building in Khar began around 8 pm and the three were there for some time. Since January 1 was Jhanvi’s father Prakash’s birthday, she wanted to return home to cut the cake with him. She, along with Diya and Shree, returned to their Santacruz building and at around 11.45 pm cut the birthday cake before leaving again for the party on Shree’s scooter. In the early hours of the morning, Nidhi and Prakash received a phone call that altered their lives forever.
“The date is now traumatic for us. We have stopped celebrating my husband’s birthday. The past five years have been nothing but seeking justice for my daughter,” Nidhi said.
Working at a jewellery firm, Nidhi said she balanced her professional and family responsibilities in a way that allowed her to prioritise court dates. “I did not want to miss even a single day of hearing,” she said. She ensured she attended most hearings, often alone.
Over the years, Nidhi has spoken of her regret at not being informed earlier about the injuries her daughter had suffered and has often wondered whether Jhanvi could have been saved if she had been taken to hospital in time.
