‘WOMAN BURNT TO DEATH OVER INTERFAITH RELATIONSHIP’

LUCKNOW: A Hindu woman was allegedly burnt to death by her family in Sant Kabir Nagar district in eastern Uttar Pradesh for being in a relationship with a Muslim man, police said on Monday, announcing the arrest of the victim’s father, brother and two other relatives, who hired a contract killer for the murder. Police officials said the family members have confessed to the crime, and a hunt was on for the contract killer who was purportedly paid ₹1.5 lakh to murder the 28-year-old woman, whose burnt body was discovered on February 4.

Superintendent of police (SP) of Sant Kabir Nagar, Kaustubh, said the woman’s father, brother, brother-in-law and a fourth relative, have been arrested. During the course of interrogation, the father, a retired armyman, said that his daughter was in a relationship with a married Muslim man. His daughter eloped on one occasion but returned and continued with relationship despite family’s objections, the father told police, according to the officer’s statement to reporters.

Police recovered a container in which petrol was stored and a motorcycle that was allegedly used in the killing were also recovered, they added. The halfburnt body of the woman was first discovered at Jigina village under Dhanghata police station limits on February 4. The identity of the woman could not be ascertained at the time, police said, adding that several teams were formed to probe the case.

With the help of the local police, surveillance, CCTV footage, a field unit and a dog squad, the body was identified as that of a woman of Jitwarpur village under Belghat police station limits in the neighbouring Gorakhpur district, the SP said.

The father told police that he and his son-in-law hired a contract killer and paid him ₹1.50 lakh. On the night of February 3, the man allegedly took his daughter to a deserted spot where the killer and others arrived. When the woman raised an alarm, the accused tied her hands and put a cloth over her mouth. Once she fell unconscious, they placed jute bags on her, poured petrol and set her on fire, the SP said.