A woman was allegedly hacked to death with an axe by her son-in-law in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, with police saying the murder was the result of a long-running family dispute over a love marriage.
The incident took place in Korrahi village under Bisanda police station limits. The accused, identified as Lavkush Verma, has been arrested along with two of his relatives, who are accused of helping him during the attack.
Police said a case of murder has been registered, and the weapon used in the crime has been recovered.
Police Say Marriage Dispute Was Motive
According to Banda Superintendent of Police Palash Bansal, Lavkush, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, married Gul Afroz, also known as Alia, a Muslim woman, about a year ago after the two were in a relationship.
The couple had reportedly lived together in Hyderabad before returning to the village earlier this year.
Police said the victim, Bano, opposed the marriage, leading to repeated disputes between the two families. Village-level meetings and police interventions had previously been held to resolve the matter.
“The investigation so far indicates that the murder was linked to the family dispute over the marriage. No evidence of a land dispute has emerged during the investigation,” SP Bansal said.
Daughter Alleges Prior Threats
According to the FIR filed by Gul Afroz, her husband had been threatening her and her mother for several weeks after differences arose between the couple. She claimed she had left her husband’s house and started living with her mother.
The family had recently shifted to a rented house in Baberu after allegedly receiving threats.
On Saturday, Bano returned to the village with her daughters after receiving information about a theft at her house. Before reaching the village, the family called the UP-112 police helpline, fearing trouble.
According to the complaint, after the police team left, Lavkush, along with his uncles Chhotelal and Sattu, allegedly attacked Bano with an axe while she was on her way to the police station. The FIR alleges that the two co-accused held Bano’s hands and legs while Lavkush repeatedly struck her on the neck.
Gul Afroz and her sister managed to escape after the accused allegedly tried to attack them as well.
Daughter Also Alleges Police Lapses
Gul Afroz has also alleged that she had repeatedly informed the police about threats from her husband but no effective action was taken. She claimed that a complaint regarding a theft at the house had also not been acted upon.
Police, however, said officers had responded to the UP-112 call and advised the family to visit the police station to submit a written complaint before the attack took place.
Following the murder, forensic teams visited the crime scene and collected evidence. Additional police personnel have been deployed in the village as a precaution, as the incident involves families from two different religious communities.
The investigation is ongoing, and police said further action will be taken based on the evidence collected.
