Gurugram MNC employee killed by father, brother over live-in relationship
What's the story
In a shocking case of "honor killing," the father and brother of a 23-year-old woman have been arrested for allegedly murdering her in Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh.
The victim, identified as Saraswati Maliyan, was working with an e-commerce firm in Gurugram and was reportedly living with a man from her village named Amit.
Her family opposed the relationship.
Discovery
Accused confess to crime
Maliyan's half-burnt body was discovered by the police on June 3 in a forest in Katia village, under Muzaffarnagar's Kakrauli police station.
Her father, Rajveer Singh (55), and brother Sumit Singh (24) have since confessed to the crime.
"Rajveer admitted to killing his daughter out of anger over her relationship," Muzaffarnagar SSP Sanjay Kumar Verma told TOI.
"They claimed that she had tarnished the family's reputation with her relationship choices," the officer said.
The third accused, Gurdayal Singh, is absconding.
Deception
How the murder was executed
The murder occurred on the night of May 29-30 when Rajveer and Sumit allegedly strangled Maliyan at their home.
The trio then transported her body to a forest five kilometers away, poured petrol over it, and set it ablaze.
To mislead the investigation, they filed a missing person's report days later.
"We first took a close photo of it (bracelet) and then started looking for missing women around the village," Joginder Singh, Station House Officer, Kakrouli, told The Indian Express.
Background
Victim forced into marriage twice
Police revealed that Maliyan was forced into marriage in 2019, but left her husband after two years. Her family arranged another marriage for her in 2022, which also ended after a year.
"She later began living with a man called Amit in Gurugram, where both started working with the same e-commerce firm that same year," police said.
The couple continued their relationship despite opposition from Maliyan's family.
Final communication
Last conversation with partner
Maliyan returned to her village on May 10 to convince her family about her relationship.
Her last conversation with Amit happened on May 26, where she said this would be her last attempt at persuading them.
The accused have been booked under Sections 103 (murder) and 238 (causing disappearance of evidence of offense or giving false evidence to screen offender) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.