UP interfaith couple beaten to death, stuffed in gunny bags; woman’s three brothers arrested
The incident occurred early on Monday morning after Mohammad Arman was allegedly found inside Kajal Saini’s room. Their bodies were later found inside gunny bags dumped near a riverbank.
Three men were arrested in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district on Thursday for allegedly killing their 19-year-old sister and the 27-year-old man with whom she was in an interfaith relationship, and burying their bodies, the police said.
The police identified the victims as Mohammad Arman and Kajal Saini, and the accused as Rajaram, Satish, and Rinku Saini. The couple was hacked to death in Umri village early on Monday, and their bodies were recovered from an area under the jurisdiction of Pakwara police station on Wednesday evening.
According to a senior police official, Arman, who lived in the neighbourhood, came to Kajal’s house late on Sunday night. He was allegedly inside her room when one of her brothers learnt of his presence. The brother alerted his siblings, and the trio allegedly entered Kajal’s room forcibly and started beating both of them. According to the police, they also prevented other family members from entering the room.
One of the brothers brought a spade from the house and allegedly hit Arman repeatedly until he fell unconscious in a pool of blood, with severe injuries to his head and other parts of his body, the police official added.
Seeing Arman dead, Kajal tried to run out of the house and raise an alarm. The brothers allegedly caught her and assaulted her with the spade, leading to her death, the police said. The brothers later stuffed the couple’s bodies in gunny bags, carried them to a river a few kilometres away from the village, and buried the bodies on the riverbank, the police official said.
Satpal, Superintendent of Police, Moradabad, said in a statement that the local police launched an inquiry when Arman’s family contacted them on Tuesday, informing them that he was missing and was last seen going to sleep on Sunday night. Kajal’s family also lodged a missing person’s report on the same day.
Arman’s family alerted the police about his relationship with Kajal. Her family, however, initially tried to mislead the police, suggesting that Arman had abducted her to marry her after conversion, the police official said.
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When the police interrogated Kajal’s two brothers at home, they allegedly confessed to having murdered the couple in a fit of anger, the police said. The bodies of Arman and Kajal were recovered after the accused took the police to the spot near the river where they were buried, SP Satpal said in his statement.
A murder case has been lodged following a complaint by Arman’s father, Hanif. The police are investigating whether others were involved in the murders.
Bhupendra Pandey is the Resident Editor of the Lucknow edition of The Indian Express. With decades of experience in the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s journalistic landscape, he oversees the bureau’s coverage of India’s most politically significant state. His expertise lies in navigating the complex intersections of state governance, legislative policy, and grassroots social movements. From tracking high-stakes assembly elections to analyzing administrative shifts in the Hindi heartland, Bhupendra’s reportage provides a definitive lens on the region's evolution.
Authoritativeness He leads a team of seasoned reporters and investigators, ensuring that The Indian Express’ signature "Journalism of Courage" is reflected in every regional story. His leadership is central to the Lucknow bureau’s reputation for breaking stories that hold the powerful to account, making him a trusted figure for policy analysts, political scholars, and the general public seeking to understand the nuances of UP’s complex landscape.
Trustworthiness & Accountability Under his stewardship, the Lucknow edition adheres to the strictest standards of factual verification and non-partisan reporting. He serves as a bridge between the local populace and the national discourse, ensuring that regional issues are elevated with accuracy and context. By prioritizing primary-source reporting and on-the-ground verification, he upholds the trust that readers have placed in the Express brand for nearly a century. ... Read More
