Uttar Pradesh: Parents Kill Daughter For Talking To Neighbour; Attempt To Make It Look Like Suicide

New Delhi: A sensational revelation has emerged regarding the death of a young woman under suspicious circumstances in Kandhla, Shamli (Uttar Pradesh), on July 1. It has been confirmed that the young woman was murdered. Suspecting her conduct, her stepmother and father strangled her to death and then hung her body from a ceiling fan to make it appear as a suicide. During interrogation, both accused confessed that the young woman used to speak to a young man from the neighborhood. They committed this 'honor killing' out of fear of social stigma. The police have sent both accused to jail.

How did the crime come to light?

On July 1, the body of 19-year-old Hina, daughter of Ahsan, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her home in the Iliyas Nagar locality of Kandhla. Following her death under suspicious circumstances, the police sent the body for a post-mortem examination. SP Narendra Pratap Singh stated that the post-mortem report revealed the cause of death to be pressure applied to the neck. Crucially, this pressure was applied while she was still alive, not after death. Consequently, on July 22nd, the police registered a case against Hina's parents and arrested her father, Ahsan, and stepmother, Gufrana.

What did the investigation reveal?

During interrogation, Ahsan revealed that his first wife had passed away in 2020, after which he married Gufrana in 2021. Gufrana harbored suspicions regarding Hina's conduct and was particularly concerned about her interactions with a young man from the neighborhood. Driven by these suspicions, they executed a plan to murder Hina.

According to the SP, the accused revealed during interrogation that after formulating the murder plan for July 1st, they sent their two sons to a madrasa. Later that afternoon, while Hina was alone at home, Gufrana held her legs while her father, Ahsan, strangled her—tightening the *dupatta* (scarf) around her neck and simultaneously pressing her throat with his hands—until she died. Body Hung from Fan to Stage It as Suicide
Following the incident, Gufrana and Ahsan hung Hina's body from the ceiling fan with the intention of concealing evidence and making the death appear to be a suicide. Ahsan sent his wife out of the house and subsequently informed neighbors and others that Hina had committed suicide. He also attempted to pin the blame for the incident on a neighbor and an unidentified person.

According to the Superintendent of Police (SP), the accused stated that he had left his home with his wife and children and gone to Kairana, planning to travel to Punjab or Haryana later. It was during this time that the police arrested him and his wife.