Noida: Woman’s body found buried in plot, her family allege dowry harassment

A highly decomposed body of a 26-year-old missing woman was found buried at a vacant plot in Sector 155 on Friday, police said, adding that it was suspected case of murder and harassment over dowry

A highly decomposed body of a 26-year-old missing woman was found buried at a vacant plot in Sector 155 on Friday, police said, adding that it was suspected case of murder and harassment over dowry.

Police said that the body was spotted by locals at around 11pm after heavy rains on Thursday washed away some dirt at the plot. (FILE)

Police said that the body was spotted by locals at around 11pm after heavy rains on Thursday washed away some dirt at the plot.

The woman was identified as Sarita(single name). She was allegedly missing since March 8 after which her husband, 30-year-old Joginder (single name) filed a missing complaint on March 9 at the Knowledge Park police station, police said.

Ashok Kumar, additional deputy commissioner of police, Greater Noida, said, “Upon receiving the information, police teams reached the spot and the body was dug out. The woman’s family identified her on the basis of her clothes.”

The couple lived at Deri Kambakhspur village with their six-year-old son, and six other members of the family, and under the same police station jurisdiction.

The woman’s maternal family, who live in Tusiana village in Greater Noida,has levelled allegations of murder and harassment over dowry by her in-laws since her marriage in 2015. On March 15, the woman’s brother Narendra (single name), 28, filed a complaint against Joginder and his six relatives alleging that they abducted Sarita and tortured her.

Police have booked the seven people in the case, and were yet to arrest them.

According to the brother’s complaint, Sarita’s in-laws had demanded ₹10 lakh dowry and a two-wheeler motorcycle, which was given during the marriage”. However, my sister’s mother-in-law and her husband continued to harass her over dowry. On March 12, 2021, they physically assaulted my sister and we had submitted a complaint against her husband at Knowledge Park police station after which a non-cognisable report was registered against him. However later, police had carried out a mediation between the couple and the matter was resolved,” he has alleged.

He added that since March 8, Sarita’s mobile phone was unreachable and when asked, her sister-in-law said that she had eloped. Since then, her son was living with the father.

The brother, however, alleged that Sarita was killed.“...we are sure that my sister has been killed by her in-laws. I request the police to find her body and take necessary action against the suspects,” the complaint stated.

“On the basis of the brother’s complaint, an FIR under sections 365 (abduction), 498A (cruelty against women) and relevant sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act,” said VK Singh, in-charge of Knowledge Park Police station.

On Friday, officials said that sections of 302 (murder) of the Indian Penal Code were being added to the FIR. The accused in the case were on the run, police said, adding that efforts were underway to arrest them.

“The cause of death of the woman is yet to be ascertained as the body was heavily decomposed. The postmortem report is awaited. We are searching for the suspects as they have absconded from their residence. They will be nabbed soon,” said Singh.