Basti woman murdered by brother; mother, son arrested for faking road mishap
Police say the 20-year-old was strangled after her family discovered her talking to a male friend, after which her mother and brother tried to make the killing look like an accident
Family admits to fabricating accident scene after killing daughter
A 20-year-old girl from Parsa Jagir, in Basti district, was allegedly murdered by her brother, assisted by their mother in covering up the crime, after the siblings and mother accused her of talking to a male acquaintance over the phone. According to the police, a spat ensued when the brother reached home to find his sister chatting over the phone. The mother admonished the girl, which further led to an escalation of the situation resulting in the brother killing his sister.
Later that night, police say the mother and brother tied the girl’s hands and legs, placed her inside a sack, and loaded her into the boot of their vehicle. Along with a cousin they drove towards Gonda district under cover of darkness. On a secluded road near the PD Bandh area in Bangawan, the brother allegedly strangled her, discarded her body near the roadside, and then ran over her with the car to make it appear like a hit-and-run case.
The incident came to light after village head Manjeet Singh filed a complaint and a murder case was registered at Tarabganj Police Station. During interrogation, the statements of the mother and brother did not match, arousing suspicion. Eventually, both confessed to the crime. The two were arrested, while the cousin is still missing.
The case highlights the brutal reality of so-called “honour” crimes and the extreme actions families sometimes take to maintain reputation.
