UP: Kidnapping probe leads to arrest of Dalit girl’s father for murder in Kannauj

The two others arrested have been identified as the associates of the girl’s father — Arvind Jatav (35) and Arpit (21). All the accused belong to the Dalit community, the CO said.

According to police, the father strangled the girl, took her body to the village outskirts, and set it on fire to destroy evidence.

“The spot where the girl’s body was set on fire has been identified based on the inputs from the arrested accused. The remains recovered from the spot have been sent to a forensic lab for DNA analysis,” said a police officer involved in the investigation.

Police said that during interrogation, Mahendra said that his daughter Anjali had been in a relationship with a youth from the same village for the past three months. The boy frequently visited their home, and despite repeated warnings, Anjali continued to meet him in secret.

On February 4, Anjali was spotted talking with the youth, and when her brother Sandeep saw them, he brought her home. According to police, she insisted on marrying the youth, but Mahendra opposed the idea, claiming her relationship would bring shame to the family and harm their social reputation.

The next day, police said, Mahendra allegedly smothered Anjali, while Arvind Kumar held her hands and Arpit Kumar held her feet. Her brother, Sandeep, then strangled her with a scarf, resulting in her death. In an attempt to pass it off as a suicide, the accused hung her body from a ceiling fan.

Later, with the help of Arvind Kumar and Monu, Anjali’s body was taken to the thickets on the village outskirts on a motorcycle. “Mahendra, Sandeep, and Arpit followed on foot. The group then collected wood from the area and set the body on fire along with the scarf to destroy any evidence. After that, Mahendra went to Thathia police station and lodged a false kidnapping case,” the officer added.