Patna/Sonbhadra: In a chilling case of suspected honour killing, a couple from Patna who had eloped five months ago were found murdered in Uttar Pradesh’s Sonbhadra district. Police say the victims, Munni Kumari (21) and Raju Kumar (21), were shot dead by the girl’s brother, who allegedly deceived them into returning home under the pretext of marriage approval.
According to police, the couple had fled their homes in Motipur village, Naubatpur, near Patna, and were living in Surat, Gujarat. Raju’s brother, Mukesh Kumar, said Munni was four months pregnant and that the families had strongly opposed their relationship.
“My brother’s phone was switched off since September 26. We tried searching for them and filed a missing report in Gujarat,” Mukesh told reporters.
The investigation began after a series of gruesome discoveries in Sonbhadra. On September 24, villagers found the body of a young woman near Khokha Tiraha under Hathinala police station. The woman had blood stains on her face and a gunshot wound to her chest. Later that same day, a human skeleton was discovered in Rajkhad Valley forest under Dudhiya Kotwali area.
The forensic team recovered a spinal cord, jawbone, hair strands, a bracelet, and a blue and orange tarpaulin, believed to have been used to wrap the body before wild animals scattered the remains. Using mobile numbers recovered from the woman’s belongings, police traced her identity through social media, linking her to the missing Patna couple.
Police say the girl’s brother tricked the couple into believing that the family had accepted their relationship and invited them to Vindhyachal, Mirzapur, promising to conduct their marriage. From there, the couple hired a car for Sonbhadra. On the way, another accomplice joined them near Barkacha turn. After travelling a short distance, both were shot dead — Munni’s body dumped in the Hathinala forest, and Raju’s in Dudhiya forest.
Sonbhadra Superintendent of Police confirmed that the main accused—the girl’s brother—has been arrested, and two other suspects are being hunted. “This is a case of family honour killing linked to a love affair. The main accused has confessed, and we expect to make further arrests soon,” the SP said.
Postmortems on both bodies have been completed, and reports have been added to the investigation file.
The double murder has sparked outrage, with local residents describing it as “a brutal reminder of social prejudice still prevailing in rural India.”
“They just wanted to live together. It’s heartbreaking that love is still punished with death,” said a neighbour from Naubatpur.
Police say they are tightening surveillance in inter-district missing cases involving young couples, fearing similar incidents of deceit and violence.
