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5-yr-old girl found dead: Mother, her live-in partner, estranged hubby detained
The police said the woman approached them on Monday, alleging that her husband, Shahrukh, had killed their child; murder FIR registered
LUCKNOW A shocking incident unfolded in the Khandari Bazaar area of Qaiserbagh when a five-year-old girl was found strangled to death at her residence early on Tuesday morning. The police detained the child’s mother, Roshni Khan alias Naaz, her alleged live-in partner Udit Jaiswal and estranged husband Shahrukh Khan for interrogation.
The police said Roshni had approached them on Monday, alleging that her husband, Shahrukh, had killed their child. A murder FIR was registered under Section 101 of the BNS against Shahrukh.
The post-mortem examination confirmed that the cause of death was asphyxiation due to manual strangulation, and ligature marks were found around the neck.
According to preliminary findings, the girl, Saynaara alias Sona, had been caught in the long-standing domestic dispute between her parents. Roshni and Shahrukh were married around a decade ago, but had parted ways amid allegations and counter-allegations, including serious criminal charges that Roshni filed against her in-laws. The woman had since been residing in the same house with Udit, while Shahrukh moved out after allegedly being assaulted by her.
Around 3am on July 15, Roshni called the police emergency number 112, claiming that Shahrukh had come to her residence to meet their daughter, and during a heated altercation, strangled the child to death. However, when the Qaiserbagh police arrived and began examining the scene, they were met with conflicting narratives.
“The woman alleged that her estranged husband killed the child during a late-night visit, but her statements kept shifting. There were clear inconsistencies between her version of events and physical evidence collected from the scene,” said DCP (west) Vishwajeet Srivastava.
As investigators dug deeper, they found signs that pointed to a premeditated attempt to frame Shahrukh. Sources said by the time police arrived Saynaara’s body had already begun decomposing with signs of insect activity, indicating the murder may have occurred more than 24 hours earlier. Forensic teams collected samples and the body was sent for post-mortem examination.
Shahrukh, who had been forced to move out of the house following repeated disputes, had filed a police complaint against Roshni in May. Roshni had earlier accused her brother-in-law of sexually assaulting the child and her in-laws of dowry harassment, resulting in their arrests. She had since taken control of the fourth floor of the family’s home, where she had been living with Udit Jaiswal.
Neighbours revealed that the child was unhappy with her mother’s new relationship and often pleaded for her father to return.
A senior officer involved in the investigation confirmed, “We have reason to believe the child was seen as an obstacle in the relationship. She had grown increasingly vocal about wanting her father back and disapproved of her mother’s partner. This possibly led to escalating tensions within the household.”
Inspector Anjani Kumar Mishra, in-charge of the investigation, said: “Initial forensic evidence and contradictions in the mother’s statements suggest that the child may not have died in the manner or timeframe described by Roshni. We are examining CCTV footage, phone records, and location data of all three individuals.”
Udit Jaiswal is said to have initially supported Roshni’s claims, but after sustained questioning, allegedly admitted that the child’s death may have occurred earlier than claimed. Police are yet to officially confirm this detail.
