“We Want Justice For Hema and Chintan Upadhyay”, Says Their Friend

Although Chintan is a suspect he is still innocent until proven guilty and not guilty until proven innocent.

I was in Baroda, my college town, on the morning of December 13 when friends called and gave the sad news of Hema’s demise and the shocking fact that it was a murder.

Baroda. The same town where Hema, Chintan and I were batchmates at the Faculty of Fine Arts 20 years ago.

I wept a little for Hema, only 42, so talented, with a potentially fantastic life ahead and hoped she did not suffer too much, hoped at least the end was quick.

And then I wept for Chintan – thinking how devastated he must be at the news. It did not occur to me for a second to think of him as a suspect, despite knowing about their split, despite hearing her lawyer was also murdered with her.