'₹1.20 crore for human testicles': How an Instagram reel allegedly became motive for horrific murder in Bhopal

A bizarre murder investigation in Bhopal has allegedly been linked to an Instagram reel claiming that human testicles could be worth ₹1.20 crore. Police say a 17-year-old boy who sold pens and keychains was allegedly lured with ₹100 to an isolated location and killed as part of a conspiracy driven by the belief that reproductive his organs could fetch a fortune.

Investigators say the alleged plot involved a 20-year-old BBA student who posed as a doctor, along with three minors. Police are probing how the social media claim spread among the group and whether they genuinely believed the bizarre valuation of human testicles.

How much could human testicles be worth?

For a group of young men and boys in Bhopal, police say the answer came not from a medical textbook or a doctor, but from an Instagram reel. The figure they allegedly believed was staggering: Rs 1.20 crore.

That bizarre claim about the value of human testicles is now at the centre of a murder investigation in which a 17-year-old boy who sold pens and keychains was allegedly lured to an isolated location with the promise of Rs 100 and killed.

The Instagram reel behind the alleged conspiracy

According to police, Zoheb Khan, 20, a second-year BBA student, had watched an Instagram reel making the extraordinary claim. Investigators allege that Khan later showed the video to others and told them that the private parts of a boy aged around 15 or 16 could fetch Rs 1.2 crore.

Police say Khan wore a white apron and presented himself as a doctor, despite having no medical qualification. The alleged medical persona may have made the claim appear more credible to the others involved.

Are human testicles actually worth that much?

Investigators say they have found no medical basis for the Rs 1.2-crore claim and no evidence so far of a buyer or organised market offering such money. Police also consulted a doctor during the investigation, but found nothing to substantiate the alleged valuation.

The question now is where the figure came from and how an Instagram video allegedly turned into the motive for a murder.

Who was the victim?

The victim has been identified as Rehan. The child of a single mother who worked as a cleaner at a public toilet, Rehan earned money by selling pens and keychains around Iqbal Maidan and Moti Masjid.

Police believe some of the accused already knew him. Investigators allege that he was targeted after the group became convinced they needed a boy above the age of 15.

The alleged killing

On August 6, police say two minors approached Rehan at Iqbal Maidan and offered him Rs 100 to accompany them, claiming they needed help settling a dispute with other boys near Khatlapura.

Rehan allegedly agreed. Police say the group then took him through Ginnauri and Kilol Park towards the secluded Dhobighat area near Chhota Talab. Khan allegedly remained in contact with the group by phone and guided them as the plan unfolded.

Once they reached the isolated location, Rehan was allegedly attacked from behind and stabbed repeatedly with a knife and blade.

Police allege that after his death, the accused removed his testicles and placed them in a plastic bag, following instructions allegedly linked to the video they had been shown.

The alleged crores never materialised

The group was then confronted with the obvious question: where was the buyer? Police say the accused spent days trying to find someone who would pay the alleged Rs 1.2 crore. No buyer was found. The body part was eventually allegedly thrown into the water.

How police identified Rehan

The murder initially came to light on August 10, when police recovered a decomposed body from Dhobighat near Chhota Talab.

The body had sharp-edged weapon injuries to the abdomen and legs, and a post-mortem examination indicated homicide. But investigators initially did not know who the victim was. Police circulated photographs, questioned residents, and conducted door-to-door inquiries. The body was eventually buried after the initial attempts to establish his identity failed.

Five days later, on August 15, a woman approached the police while searching for her missing son. A distinctive tattoo helped her identify the body as Rehan. The police then began reconstructing his final movements and examining people known to him. The investigation eventually led police to the accused, and with it came the extraordinary alleged motive.