A young woman’s murder in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, has shocked the region after her father and brother confessed to killing her over her relationship with another man. The Muzaffarnagar police arrested the two men on Sunday. The men allegedly strangled the UP woman and burned her body to destroy evidence.
Silver Bracelet Helps Police Identify Victim Found in Jungle
The UP woman, identified as 23-year-old Saraswati, was found dead in a jungle near Katia village under Kakrouli police station limits on June 3. According to Station House Officer (SHO) Joginder Singh, the body was discovered by the owner of a nearby field who immediately informed police. “Her body was found in a field nearby, then the owner of the field called and informed us about it,” SHO Singh said.
The body of the UP woman was badly burned. However, the officers noticed a silver bracelet on her wrist. “The body was completely burnt. A silver bracelet on her hand was our only clue. We first took a close photo of it (bracelet) and then started looking for missing women around the village,” the SHO added.
Instagram Helps Identify UP Woman, Arrests
By searching Instagram profiles, the police found pictures of Saraswati wearing the same bracelet. Her identity was then confirmed. The officers then took her father, Rajvir Singh (55), a labourer, into custody. Her brother, Sumit (24), a truck driver, was also arrested.
>“They admitted to killing Saraswati on the intervening night of 29 and 30 May and later throwing her body in the jungle and burning it by pouring petrol,” said Sanjay Verma, Senior Superintendent of Police.
The police stated that the motive was “shame” due to Saraswati’s relationship with a man named Amit. “She was a graduate. Both Amit and Saraswati started working as Blinkit delivery agents in Gurgaon in 2022,” SHO Singh said. Saraswati returned home on May 10 to convince her parents to allow her to marry Amit. Amit told police he last heard from her on May 26. That was when she said it would be her final attempt to gain her family’s approval.
Confession Reveals Chilling Details
On the night of the murder, her father and brother claimed she was packing to leave again. “We tried to stop and convince her but she did not agree. Due to her leaving the house repeatedly, our respect in the society was getting hurt. We were ashamed of it, so we, along with our friend, truck cleaner Hardayal, killed her by strangling her,” they told police.
The accused said they dumped her body 5 km away near a canal. They even poured petrol on it to hide her identity. Police have filed an FIR for murder and tampering with evidence. SHO Singh confirmed that they are now searching for the third accused, Hardayal.
