In Uttar Pradesh’s Fatehpur district, a 19-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by her elder brother for insisting on staying with a Muslim man instead of returning to her husband’s home.
Police said the accused later surrendered before authorities and confessed to the crime.
The incident took place in the Haswa area under Thariyanv police station limits. According to police, the victim, identified as Manju alias Ranju Yadav, had married Ajay alias Pintu Yadav from Sonhi Badanpur village in Ghazipur police station area on May 1, 2026.
Brother Brought Sister From In-Laws’ Home Before Alleged Murder
Police said Manju’s elder brother, Sandeep Yadav, had gone to bring her back from her matrimonial home on June 10. After staying there for two days, he was returning home with her on Friday evening.
According to investigators, after getting down from a vehicle near Bilanda, the siblings were walking along a canal route toward their village when the accused allegedly attacked his sister near a forested area on the outskirts of the village.
Police alleged that Sandeep strangled Manju to death and later dumped her body into a nearly 40-foot-deep well filled with water.
After the incident, the accused reportedly wandered in nearby forest areas throughout the night before surrendering at the Haswa police outpost on Saturday morning around 11 am.
Brother Suspected Sister Would Leave Husband for Muslim Lover
Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik said the investigation suggests the woman had a relationship with a man from another community before marriage.
“The facts emerging during the investigation indicate that the woman was in a relationship with a youth from another community. Her brother suspected that after reaching home, she might leave her husband and go with him,” the SP said.
Police said the accused told investigators that his sister had refused to return to her husband and insisted on staying with her Muslim boyfriend. He allegedly feared she would run away after reaching home.
During questioning, Sandeep reportedly told police that his sister had been speaking to the man on her mobile phone even before marriage, but the family became fully aware of the relationship only after her wedding.
Family in Shock as Police Register Murder Case
Following the surrender, police reached the spot with family members and recovered the body from the well. A forensic team collected evidence from the crime scene.
Inspector Shamsher Bahadur Singh said a murder case and charges related to destruction of evidence have been registered against the accused based on a complaint filed by the victim’s father, Shiv Singh Yadav.
“The accused is being questioned and further evidence is being gathered,” the officer said.
The incident has left the victim’s family devastated. Her mother, two sisters, and younger brother were reportedly inconsolable after the recovery of her body.
Police Raid Alleged Boyfriend’s House
As part of the investigation, police also raided the residence of the alleged boyfriend, identified as Afsan Qureshi, in Haswa town’s Chaudharana locality. However, he was not found at home.
Police are questioning his family members, though officials have not confirmed claims circulating locally that the man was pressuring the woman to stay with him.
