19-YR-OLD STRANGULATED, FAMILY CALLS IT COVID DEATH

MEERUT: A 19-year-old woman was strangled to death, 13 days after she married a man of her choice. Her family members buried her saying that she died of Coronavirus infection.

Police exhumed her mortal remains on Saturday and the post-mortem examination report confirmed the cause of death as strangulation.

Circle officer of Kotwali area Arvind Chaurasia said that the woman’s father, Manzoor, had been arrested and a case under sections 302, 201 and 130b registered against her brother and four other family members at the Lisari gate police station. “We have taken a few persons into custody for interrogation,” said Chaurasia and added, “Three police teams are conducting raids to arrest them.”

Chaurasia said that the woman was a resident of Shahjahan Colony of Lisari gate locality and got married to 22-year-old man of Karim Nagar Colony in the Nauchandi area on May 17 against the wishes of her family. Her family had taken her home after a few days of the marriage and she died under mysterious circumstances on May 31.

She was buried in the graveyard on June 1 and her husband also attended the funeral where people told him that his wife had died of Coronavirus infection. Next day, the woman’s younger sister told him over the phone that his wife was murdered.

Chaurasia said that the husband of the woman approached the police station and wanted to lodge a complaint against his wife’s family members but the police asked him to first bring documents about his marriage. He returned after a few days with his marriage certificate and gave a complaint to the police. After a discussion with senior officials, it was decided to exhume the woman’s mortal remains. He said that on the basis of the post-mortem report, a case of murder was registered against the kin on Saturday.

SHE WAS BURIED IN THE GRAVEYARD ON JUNE 1 AND HER HUSBAND ALSO ATTENDED THE FUNERAL WHERE PEOPLE TOLD HIM THAT HIS WIFE HAD DIED OF CORONAVIRUS INFECTION