Investigation into Faridabad woman's murder reveals rape by father-in-law

Faridabad: The investigation into the case of a woman who was buried after her murder in Haryana's Faridabad has revealed that the victim was allegedly raped by her father-in-law before her murder, said police.

The mother-in-law of the victim was also allegedly involved in the murder, and she has been arrested, police said, adding that police are now searching for the victim's husband Arun, who is still at large.

The main accused, father-in-law Bhoop Singh, was taken on three days of police remand again by the crime unit. During interrogation, he allegedly revealed that the murder was pre-planned, an official said.

The murder of 24-year-old Tannu was planned on April 15, and her husband and mother-in-law were also allegedly involved in the plan, a senior investigating officer said.

During interrogation, Bhoop Singh allegedly revealed that as per the plan, the victim's mother-in-law was sent to attend her niece's wedding in Etah, Uttar Pradesh on April 15. On the night of April 21, Arun allegedly mixed sleeping pills in the food of his wife Tannu and sister Kajal, according to the police.

Both of them fell into a deep sleep in their separate rooms on the ground and the first floor.

A senior police officer said it was decided that the father-in-law alone would kill Tannu, and Arun went to the room on the ground floor. Bhoop Singh entered Tannu's room late night and was preparing to strangle her with a dupatta. But before killing his unconscious daughter-in-law, he allegedly raped her, the officer said, adding that he did not tell his son and wife about the rape.

After some time, he called Arun upstairs to the room and both of them allegedly took the body and threw it in a pit that had already been dug in the street. They put bricks and soil on top of it. The people in the neighbourhood were told that the pit was meant for sewerage, added the officer.

The pit was dug before Naib Tehsildar Jaswant Singh, and Tannu's body was exhumed. An FIR was registered against four of the in-laws' family - Bhoop Singh, his wife Sonia, son Arun Singh, and daughter Kajal - at Palla police station.

Tannu was killed and buried in front of her house allegedly by her in-laws, who managed to keep the body hidden for almost two months by reporting her missing. The victim, a native of Shikohabad in the Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh, had married Arun Singh of Roshan Nagar area here two years ago.