19-year-old's murder shocks Haryana: Police make two arrests, search for third

The incident came to light when the victim's brother lodged a complaint with Delhi Police on October 22, saying that his sister had been missing. He expressed suspicion that her recent acquaintance might be involved in her disappearance.

Delhi Police arrested two men in Haryana, who are suspected to have killed a 19-year-old pregnant woman and then burying her in a far-off area, police said on Friday (October 25). The accused are identified as Sanju alias Saleem and Pankaj. The police said that both have admitted to the crime; however the police are still seeking the third accused Ritik.

According to reports, the victim, who was in a relationship with Sanju, had been pressuring him to marry her, a motive that appears to have played a role in the tragic sequence of events. The incident came to light when the victim's brother lodged a complaint with Delhi Police on October 22, saying that his sister had been missing. He expressed suspicion that her recent acquaintance might be involved in her disappearance.

Following the complaint, Delhi Police mobilised multiple investigative teams to locate the missing woman, whose phone was found to be switched off. Police efforts led to the arrests of Sanju and Pankaj, who reportedly confessed to the murder during interrogation.

According to suspects' statement, the incident took place on October 21 when the men hired a car and took the woman for a ride. According to reports, the families of the deceased and Sanju were having heated disputes prior to the crime because the girl insisted on marriage with Sanju who always postponed marriage proposition.

On the day of Karwa Chauth, a traditional Hindu day of fasting for women’s marital wellbeing, the two reportedly argued, and arrangements were made for the victim to meet Sanju and his friends, Pankaj and Ritik.

As per police reports, the group drove towards Rohtak in Haryana, where the crime was allegedly committed. The suspects then buried the woman’s body in a four-foot-deep pit in an isolated area in Rohtak's Madina region.

After an extensive search, law enforcement recovered the victim’s body from the burial site, offering tragic closure to her family.