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A gruesome rape-murder in UP unravels a racket where young girls were trafficked as domestic helps from Jharkhand

Two weeks ago, a suitcase dumped in a sugarcane field in Uttar Pradesh’s Hapur sent the police on a wild goose chase. Investigations revealed a tale of human trafficking, sexual assault and murder.

6 min readNew Delhi, RanchiUpdated: Dec 16, 2025 12:25 PM IST

How a UP domestic work 'racket' ended in murder of a Jharkhand tribal woman

Police said the suspects and their company charged employers large sums for domestic workers, but the money never reached the women employed.

The last time he spoke to his sister, then a minor, was four years ago. His sister, a tribal who left their Jharkhand village for Delhi with an acquaintance from the village, rarely spoke to the family, making that conversation precious but brief — barely enough to exchange pleasantries. “I asked to speak to her properly, but the call was cut. After that, there was no contact,” he said.

On December 12, the family heard shocking news — the woman, who had gone missing three months ago, was found murdered and stuffed in a suitcase two weeks earlier, and police had arrested Kalista, the acquaintance who brought her to Delhi, along with her husband, Hapur resident Ankit, who goes by one name.

The suitcase was found in a sugarcane field in Hapur, with police claiming the woman was sexually assaulted. The arrests came on a tip from a local.

Police also recovered four mobile phones — including one belonging to the victim — some receipt books and a stick, which they suspect was the murder weapon.

According to Hapur Additional Superintendent of Police Vineet Bhatnagar, the couple ran a domestic help agency.

“The couple killed the woman after Ankit raped her and she threatened to send them to jail. Previously a cloth hawker, Ankit and Kalista, from the same village, realised labour in Jharkhand was cheap and opened the company, Shristi Enterprises, which helped employ house helpers in Delhi-NCR,” he said.

Police said the suspects and their company charged employers large sums for domestic workers, but the money never reached the women employed.

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Ankit allegedly raped the woman after she resisted his sexual advances. When she threatened to report them, the couple killed her, police said. They then allegedly forced a second woman to confess to the murder and recorded her confession.

“They packed the victim in the suitcase, took an auto to a sugarcane field and dumped her there,” the officer said.

Police said the suspects and their company charged employers large sums for domestic workers, but the money never reached the women employed.

According to police, two weeks after the body was found, they began reaching out to nearby police stations — including in the capital Delhi — to help identify the victim. This led them to a missing person’s complaint in Delhi.

“But the Delhi Police had paid no heed to it,” Bhatnagar said.

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Then came the tip that helped change the course of investigation. Police learnt that a Delhi resident had made several rounds of a police station in Delhi, leading them to suspect that he was the complainant.

“It was a Good Samaritan that helped us,” Bhatnagar said. “When our team contacted him, he said his house help — the second woman in the case — was distressed and scared but hesitant to open up. But after some probing, she narrated the entire ordeal.”

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That tip helped police identify the woman and zero in on the couple. “During questioning, Ankit told the police he had also sexually assaulted the other woman and filmed the act,” police said.

‘In shock’

Back home, the family – mother, and four siblings — is in shock. According to them, the suspect, Kalista, approached them in 2021 and promised to take the victim, along with another underage girl, to Delhi for a job.

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Belonging to one of Jharkhand’s most vulnerable tribes, the victim’s family were daily wagers, and a job for the daughter seemed a good economic prospect.

Soon, things worsened — phone calls became sparse, the promised money never came, and the family’s contact with the victim was all but severed.

“She [Kalista] used to repeatedly tell us that my sister was safe and would be brought back,” her younger brother, a contract labourer at a steel plant in Goa, told The Indian Express. “Whenever we asked them to bring her home, they would promise to send her, but nothing ever happened.”

Earlier this year, the victim’s father, after years of pleading for his daughter’s return, died.

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“My father waited and waited. He kept asking them to bring her home. He was under constant stress,” he said.

Last week, the family finally learnt what had happened to the victim. “We didn’t believe it. We thought they were lying,” the brother said. “My mother had waited all these years hoping to hear her daughter’s voice again. Now she is in deep shock.”

According to a neighbour, the suspect frequently returned to the village “to flaunt her lifestyle”. “She would talk about food, work and opportunities in Delhi. That’s how she convinced the girls,” he said, calling for a deeper probe into trafficking networks in the area.

Meanwhile, the village head said repeated efforts to track the woman in the past had failed.

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On Monday, the local block development officer visited the victim’s family. But any talk of compensation faces a major hurdle — the absence of bank accounts or identity documents.

“In that case, how will the death certificate be issued, and how will any compensation or benefits be paid to the family,” she asked.

For the family, there is another concern — they lack the money to travel to Delhi to collect the body.

“I’m trying to go back home,” he told The Indian Express. “We’ve been called to Hapur by the police, but even that travel is expensive for us.”

Neetika Jha

Neetika Jha is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in the Noida bureau. She primarily covers crime, health, and environmental issues, as well as human-interest features across Noida, Ghaziabad, and Western Uttar Pradesh. Professional Profile Education: She is an alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), Chennai. Core Beat: Her work focuses on the administrative and social challenges of the NCR's satellite cities. She is known for her detailed reporting on civic infrastructure (like the Noida International Airport), environmental violations, and high-profile criminal investigations. Personal Interests: Outside of reporting, she is an avid reader of fiction (citing The Thursday Murder Club and Yellowface as recent favorites) and a gardening enthusiast. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Neetika’s recent reportage has been dominated by winter-related crises in the NCR and significant criminal legalities: 1. Environment & Public Safety "Greater Noida Authority slaps fines on firms for violating GRAP IV norms" (Dec 21, 2025): Reporting on heavy penalties imposed on major developers like NBCC for flouting anti-pollution construction bans. "Fatal pile-up on Yamuna Expressway: Fog, high speed emerge as key safety risks" (Dec 17, 2025): A major report on a 15-vehicle collision caused by dense fog that killed 17 people. "At Chilla, Kalindi, DND, many fined Rs 20,000 for non-compliance to Delhi's BS-VI rule" (Dec 19, 2025): On-the-ground reporting from the borders where Noida police penalize non-compliant vehicles entering the capital. "Driving in Noida amid fog? New speed limits in effect till Feb 15" (Dec 13, 2025): Detailing the seasonal traffic restrictions aimed at preventing highway accidents. 2. Crime & Legal Developments "'Have you ever heard of a murder case being withdrawn?': Court in Akhlaq lynching case" (Dec 12, 2025): Covering a critical courtroom hearing where the court questioned the UP government's petition to withdraw charges against the accused. "After losing money in stock market, bank employee in Ghaziabad withdraws Rs 64 lakh from customers' accounts" (Dec 14, 2025): An investigative piece on internal bank fraud and the risks of modern digital embezzlement. "Woman shot dead by partner in Noida: Three days on, accused still on the run" (Dec 2, 2025): Tracking a high-profile domestic violence and murder case in Central Noida. 3. Human Interest & Features "'Had tears in my eyes': Army men walk bride down the aisle 20 years after father died in terror attack" (Dec 2, 2025): A moving story about soldiers from a Punjab Grenadiers unit fulfilling a father's duty for his daughter. "How a Zepto delivery man heard a cry — and saved two kids dumped in Noida drain" (Dec 2025): A viral human-interest story highlighting individual heroism in the city. Signature Style Neetika is recognized for her meticulous follow-up on local tragedies. Whether it is a massive pile-up on the Yamuna Expressway or the ongoing construction of the Jewar (Noida) Airport, she focuses on systemic lapses and the safety of commuters. Her crime reporting often explores the psychological motives behind "crimes of passion" and the rising trend of financial cyber-fraud in the Ghaziabad-Noida belt. ... Read More

Shubham Tigga

Shubham Tigga is a Correspondent at The Indian Express, presently based in Pune, where he covers the intersections of infrastructure, labor, and the modern economy. His reporting focuses on civil aviation, urban mobility, the gig economy, and workers' unions, providing critical insights into how transit and commercial sectors impact the daily lives of citizens. Expertise & Background Before moving to Pune, he reported extensively from his home state of Chhattisgarh, where he focused on Indigenous (Adivasi) issues, environmental justice, and grassroots struggles in mainland India. This experience gives him a unique lens through which he analyzes the impact of large-scale infrastructure projects on local communities. Academic Foundation He is an alumnus of the prestigious Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), where he honed his skills in investigative reporting and ethical journalism. His academic training, combined with his field experience in Central India, allows him to navigate complex socio-economic landscapes with nuance and accuracy. You can reach out to him on LinkedIn ... Read More

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