In Uttar Pradesh’s Hardoi district, Manikant Dwivedi has been arrested for allegedly murdering his 22-year-old niece, with whom he was involved in an extramarital affair. The crime reportedly occurred after the woman expressed her desire to marry someone else. Manikant allegedly disposed off her body in a building and discarded her phone on a bus to mislead the authorities.
The woman had visited Manikant’s home for Rakshabandhan on Monday. When she did not return, her father, Ramsagar Pandey, reported her missing and accused Manikant of her abduction. According to NDTV, Manikant was later apprehended and is currently under interrogation.
District Police Chief Neeraj Kumar Jadaun revealed that Manikant admitted to a two-year relationship with the woman. He confessed that her intention to marry someone else enraged him, leading him to strangle her to death. Manikant also attempted to mislead the investigation by throwing her phone onto a moving bus. The police have since recovered the body from a building, and it has been sent for a post-mortem examination.
Ramsagar Pandey reported that he had dropped his daughter off at Manikant’s home around 3 pm on Monday. After returning to his village and traveling to Lucknow, he received a call from Manikant on Wednesday, who claimed that she was missing and had eloped. Doubtful of Manikant’s story, Ramsagar decided to file a police complaint. He also mentioned that her wedding was scheduled for November 27 and that Manikant had been trying to prevent it.