A neighbour has been arrested in connection with the death of a 22-year-old woman, whose half-burnt body was discovered on an isolated plot in Dadri on May 7, barely three months after her marriage. Police are treating the death of Monika Nagar as murder.
According to the police, her in-laws and husband allegedly took the body away and set it on fire to destroy evidence. Her husband, Anuj Chauhan, and his family are currently untraceable.
The arrested accused, Karan Rawal alias Kannu (22), is a neighbour of Anuj in Ghodi Bachheda village of Dadri. Greater Noida DCP Pravin Ranjan Singh stated that Kannu had accompanied Anuj and the other accused to the plot where Monika's body was burned.
Monika and Anuj had a court marriage on February 17 after being in a relationship for some time. Police confirmed that both families were aware of their relationship and had consented to the marriage. Before the wedding, Monika had been living with her mother at a rented house in MU-2.
According to police, Monika had informed her brother that she was being assaulted by her husband and in-laws. Her family then rushed to Anuj's house and alleged that she had been killed there. Dadri SHO Jitendra Kumar Singh said police are investigating the case as murder. "Her husband and in-laws took the body to an isolated place in Dadri, placed it on a heap of cow dung, and set it on fire. They did not inform the police," he added. Since the autopsy could not ascertain the cause of death, viscera has been preserved.
Based on a complaint filed by Monika's family, police registered an FIR against Anuj, his father Harendra, his mother, younger brother Mohit, uncle Narendra, aunt, and Kannu under charges including murder, causing disappearance of evidence, and attempt to murder.
Monika's mother, Renu Nagar, recounted that she was in Meerut when her daughter called her around 2:50 PM on May 7 and said she was being assaulted. "I left immediately with relatives and reached Anuj's house between 5 PM and 6 PM. We saw Anuj, his family, and Kannu putting Monika's body into a black Fortuner," she said. "We informed the police and chased them. Near Galaxy Hospital in Dadri, we tried to stop the vehicle, but they tried to run over me and my nephew before escaping." Around 9 PM, Renu said, police informed her that Monika's body had been found with burn injuries.
Renu also alleged that Anuj had married her daughter after learning that land worth about Rs 3 crore was in Monika's name and later demanded Rs 2 crore.
