Parents arrested for alleged honour killing of daughter in UP's Baghpat

Baghpat (UP), Jun 18 (PTI) In a suspected honour killing, a 22-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by her parents in Luhari for insisting on marrying a man of her choice, police said on Wednesday.

The deceased, identified as Shivani, was in a relationship with a man named Ankit, a resident of the same village, for the past four to five years.

Upon learning of the relationship, her family opposed it and confined her to their house, pressuring her to end ties with Ankit. However, Shivani remained firm in her decision to marry him, police said.

On Tuesday night, her parents — Babita and Sanjeev — allegedly strangled her to death and later took her body to the banks of the Yamuna river, where they cremated the remains and scattered her ashes, police said.

Ankit grew suspicious after Shivani's phone remained switched off through the night. On Wednesday morning, he informed the police.

Inspector Manoj Kumar Chahal of Baraut police station told PTI that based on Ankit’s complaint, a case has been registered against Shivani's mother Babita, father Sanjeev, elder brother Ravi and a cousin sister.

During questioning, Babita and Sanjeev allegedly confessed to the crime, saying their daughter was "tarnishing the family's honour" and they were left with "no choice" but to eliminate her.

Police have arrested Babita and Sanjeev, while efforts are underway to trace and arrest the remaining two accused.

Police said further investigation is underway to collect forensic and circumstantial evidence to strengthen the case. PTI COR ABN ABN KSS KSS