WOMAN BODY FOUND FROM THE RIVER GANGA

WOMAN BODY FOUND FROM THE RIVER GANGA

18-MAY-ENG 12

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA--------------------------A married woman, a resident of Teghra village within the Bihiya police station area of ​​the district, has been murdered. Her body was stuffed into a sack, weighted down with soil, and dumped; it was subsequently recovered on Sunday afternoon—three days later—from the Ganges River at Salempur, located within the Dhobaha police station area. The deceased's body was found to be severely bloated, with the skin completely peeled off. Meanwhile, the deceased's natal family has accused her husband and in-laws of murdering her—allegedly over demands for dowry money—and subsequently stuffing her body into a sack filled with soil before throwing it into the Ganges River. The discovery of the body has caused a sensation in the village and the surrounding areas.

According to reports, the deceased has been identified as Renu Devi, a 30-year-old woman and the wife of Chhotak Turha, a resident of Teghra village in the Bihiya police station area. Separately, Akhilesh Kumar—the deceased's brother and a resident of Simri Dudhpatti village in the Simri police station area of ​​Buxar district—stated that his sister, Renu Devi, was married in May 2022 to Chhotak Turha, the son of Phoolchand Turha, a resident of Teghra village in the Bihiya police station area. A year after the marriage, her husband and in-laws began pressuring his sister to demand two lakh rupees from her natal family.

Her husband claimed that he intended to use the money to start a business. Amidst this, on May 14, her husband called on a mobile phone and began verbally abusing her. When she asked why he was using abusive language, he retorted, "If your sister abuses me, then I will abuse your mother." She then replied, "Very well, I will come tomorrow and speak with you." Following this exchange, she called the marriage intermediary (the person who arranged the match) to inform them that she would be visiting her in-laws' home the following day.

Subsequently, on the morning of May 15, her brother-in-law (husband) Chhotak Turha called again and claimed that his sister had run away. When her family members arrived at her in-laws' residence and conducted an extensive search, she could not be found. Subsequently, Akhilesh Kumar submitted a written application at the Bihiya Police Station regarding the murder of his sister and the subsequent disposal of her body. The police took the woman's husband into custody for questioning. During interrogation, he confessed that he had killed his wife, Renu Devi, wrapped her body in a sack, and dumped it along the banks of the Ganges River near the Salempur cremation ghat.

Acting on his lead, the Bihiya Police recovered the body—which had been wrapped in a sack and discarded—from the banks of the Salempur Ganges Ghat on Sunday afternoon. The police sent the body to the Sadar Hospital for a post-mortem examination. However, due to the advanced state of decomposition, the on-duty physician at the Sadar Hospital referred the body to Patna for the post-mortem procedure.

In connection with this incident, the deceased's brother, Akhilesh Kumar, has lodged a First Information Report (FIR) at the Bihiya Police Station against his brother-in-law (the husband) Chhotak Turha, his father-in-law Phoolchand Turha, his mother-in-law, and his sister-in-law. The complaint alleges that they demanded a dowry of ₹200,000 and, upon being refused, murdered his sister and dumped her body into the Ganges River with the specific intent of concealing evidence. Acting swiftly, the police have arrested the accused husband, Chhotak, while continuous raids are being conducted to apprehend the other accused individuals.

It is reported that the deceased was the second of four siblings, having two brothers and one sister. She was the sole beloved daughter of her parents. Her surviving family members include her mother, Asharfi Devi; a son, Ganesh; and a daughter, Pari. The incident has plunged the deceased's home into utter chaos and grief; her mother, Asharfi Devi, and all other family members are inconsolable and in a state of deep distress.