A man and his female friend have been arrested in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, for allegedly murdering his wife over dowry demands, leading to a police investigation and further arrests.
Key Points
- A man and his female friend have been arrested in Ballia, Uttar Pradesh, for the murder of his wife.
- The victim, Preeti Devi, was allegedly murdered due to dowry demands and physical abuse.
- The accused, Chunnilal Prajapati, and his friend Shobha Chaurasia, allegedly drugged and strangled Preeti.
- Shobha Chaurasia confessed to her involvement in the murder plot during police interrogation.
- Police are continuing efforts to arrest other individuals implicated in the dowry-related murder case.
A man and his female friend were arrested in Ballia district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday in connection with the murder of his wife, whom he married just a year ag, a police official said.
According to the police, the body of an unidentified woman was discovered on May 24 near Shivpur Diyar, in the Kotwali Police Station area of Ballia city. The woman was subsequently identified as Preeti Devi (22), a resident of Revati town of Ballia.
Dowry Demands Led To Murder Plot
Based on a written complaint filed by the victim's father, Shyam Dev from Bahadurpur Kari, a case was registered against eight individuals under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
In his complaint, Shyam Dev said that on March 6, 2025, Preeti married Chunnilal Prajapati. He alleged that since their marriage, his daughter had been subjected to physical abuse and violence over demands for dowry. He reported that on May 22, he was informed that his daughter had gone missing.
Accused Confesses To Murder
Superintendent of Police Omvir Singh announced on Friday that the police arrested Chunnilal Prajapati (25), and his female friend, Shobha Chaurasia (21).
During police interrogation, Shobha allegedly revealed that at 9 am on May 22, acting on Chunnilal's instructions, she took Preeti out from Ballia towards the Bayasi Bridge under the pretence of going for an outing.
Shobha allegedly disclosed that Chunnilal had given her a small packet containing a substance, instructing her to mix it into a water bottle, make Preeti drink it, and then take her to the bridge via an e-rickshaw.
How The Murder Was Executed
After mixing the powder into the water, Shobha gave it to Preeti. Once Preeti lost consciousness, they both exited the e-rickshaw at Bayasi.
Shortly after, Chunnilal arrived at the scene. They then placed Preeti between them on a motorcycle and took her to a secluded spot past the bridge, where Chunnilal allegedly strangled her to death.
They concealed her body in the bushes at that location before returning home. Subsequently, Chunnilal filed a missing person report regarding his wife at the Kotwali police station in Ballia.
The SP added that Section 103(1) (punishment for murder) has now been included in the case.
Efforts are ongoing to arrest the other individuals implicated in this case, police said.
