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UP woman, presumed dead in dowry case, found alive two years later
The woman’s family had filed a complaint accusing her husband and in-laws of killing her for dowry.
A woman from Uttar Pradesh, who was presumed dead and whose in-laws were facing trial in a dowry death case, has been found alive in Madhya Pradesh, police said on Wednesday.
The case dates back to 2023, when the woman went missing from her marital home in Auraiya district, about 18 months after her marriage. At the time, her family filed a missing person’s complaint and later alleged that she had been killed for dowry. With no trace of her to be found, the family accused her husband and six in-laws of murdering her. Based on their allegations, police registered a case under Section 304B (dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code, NDTV reported.
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The case continued in court for nearly two years as investigators tried to track her whereabouts. The probe was later handed over to the Special Operations Group (SOG) and the surveillance team of the Uttar Pradesh Police. After months of monitoring and search operations, the woman was finally traced to Madhya Pradesh and brought back to Auraiya on Wednesday.
Auraiya Circle Officer Ashok Kumar confirmed the development, stating, “The woman went missing a year and a half after she got married. A missing person’s complaint was filed by her family and then, on the court’s direction, a case was registered against the husband and some of her in-laws.”
Officials said the woman’s sudden reappearance has raised fresh questions. Police are now investigating why she was in Madhya Pradesh for so long and why she did not contact either her family or her in-laws during this period. They also noted that her return will “certainly impact the case in court” as her husband and relatives are still facing trial.
Dowry-related cases remain a major concern across India. In a recent case in Delhi, a man was arrested after his wife was found dead at their residence. Although the incident was initially treated as a suicide, her family alleged foul play and accused him of domestic violence and dowry harassment.
