19-yr-old stoned to death by father, brother in Muzaffarnagar village

Pratibha was the youngest of six siblings. Police said her mother died at the time of her birth.

According to neighbours, Pratibha was skilled at needlework and contributed substantially to the family income. Her father and brother were both labourers. Prabhat said, “I barely knew my sister. She was two years old when I got married. But if her charachter wasn’t good, then what could have been done. I plan to return to Madhya Pradesh once I know what’s happening with my father’s property.”

Pratibha’s body was found Tuesday morning in the fields adjacent to the village. Her father and brother were arrested on Thursday after they were interrogated following inconsistencies in their statements.

Police said Pratibha’s face had been battered badly and strangulation marks were found around her neck. “The post-mortem report showed that while the cause of death was strangulation, it appeared that she had been repeatedly struck by bricks and stones. Perhaps to hide her identity. Some of the blunt force injuries to her face are after her death, but most aren’t,” said a senior police officer. “Prima facie it looks like the brother and father dragged her to the fields and assaulted her with bricks and stones. They then strangled her and went on to smash her face beyond recognition.”

Police said a search of her person revealed no clues, barring a mobile phone, which proved vital in the investigation. They said that an analysis of the call detail records pointed to the involvement of her family members, in particular the brother and father.

Initially, her brother Pradeep was questioned. He claimed she was killed by her lover, said police. “It was only later when we interrogated Pradeep and his father Jagpal separately that we were able to find inconsistencies in their statements. Eventually Pradeep and Jagpal admitted that they had killed her because she was in love with another man from a nearby village,” said the officer.

Muzaffarnagar SSP H N Singh said, “During interrogation, they confessed that they had killed Pratibha and left her body in the fields.”

Police said Pratibha had met Shibbu, who lived in nearby Bagowasi village, while meeting some family members who worked in a brick kiln in the area. “The two fell in love. They were both Dalits, but her family disapproved. The two continued their relationship, but on Monday she was spotted with him by Pradeep,” said a senior police officer. He chased the two but while Shibbu escaped, Pratibha was caught. She was then taken to the fields and murdered.