Girl dead before habeas corpus hearing in Gujarat HC; father, uncle arrested for murder

Palanpur: A probe into the death of an 18-year-old girl just a couple of days before a habeas corpus plea filed by her live-in partner was to come up for hearing in the Gujarat High Court last month has led to the arrest of a her father and uncle, a police official said on Thursday.

Based on a complaint submitted by her live-in partner Haresh Chaudhary, police had on Wednesday lodged an FIR and booked the girl's father Sendhabhi Patel and uncle Shivrambhai Patel for murder, Danta division Assistant Superintendent of Police Suman Nala said.

Her uncle Shivrambhai Patel has been arrested, while efforts are on to nab the deceased's father, Nala said.

"The girl was in love with Chaudhary. They two had also signed a live-in agreement, which was not acceptable to Sendhabhai and his brother.

"Thus, both of them strangled her after rendering her unconscious on June 24. They performed her last rites without informing police," Nala said.

Last week, Banaskantha Superintendent of Police Akshayraj Makwana had ordered a probe into the teen girl's death after Chaudhary, a resident of Vadgamda village in Banaskanth's Tharad taluka, approached him with an application alleging she may have been killed by her kin as they were opposed to their relationship and wanted to marry her off to someone else.

As per the FIR registered on Wednesday, Chaudhary, who is already married and has a son, fell in love with the girl after he gave her a lift till Palanpur from Tharad town.

According to Nala, it is not yet clear if Chaudhary had told the girl about his marital status.

In May, both eloped and reached Ahmedabad where they signed a formal agreement of live-in relationship, after which they travelled to Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

However, on June 12, Tharad policemen and a relative of the girl tracked them down to a hotel in Rajasthan.

The girl was handed over to her uncle Shivrambhai, while Chaudhary was arrested in an old case filed under Prohibition Act in Bhachau in Kutch district.

After coming out of jail on June 21, Chaudhary learnt the deceased had messaged her twice on June 17 using Instagram, in which she expressed fear of being killed by her kin or being married off to someone else.

He couldn't read the messages when they were sent since he was in jail at the time, as per Chaudhary.

He then contacted his lawyer, who filed a habeas corpus petition in the Gujarat High Court seeking that the girl be produced before the court.

However, on June 25, just two days before the hearing, Chaudhary learnt that she had died on the night of June 24 and her last rites were also performed the next morning.

A subsequent investigation by police revealed the girl's father and uncle had decided to kill her out of fear that she may once again elope with the complainant, the FIR stated.

"When the girl was at Shivrambhai's house at Dantiya village in Tharad on the night of June 24, she was offered milk containing sleeping pills. When she fell unconscious, the duo strangled her and performed her last rites the next morning to hide their crime," said Nala.