Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj have arrested a 25-year-old Army personnel for allegedly murdering his 17-year-old girlfriend. The murder comes after she repeatedly pressured him to marry her despite his own wedding being scheduled later this month.

Accused in Custody

The accused, identified as Harshwardhan alias Deepak Yadav, was taken into custody on Monday. The arrest was followed by an intensive investigation triggered by the discovery of the teenager’s body on November 15.

The victim’s remains were recovered from an orchard near Lakharawa village under Tharwai police station after locals noticed stray dogs digging the ground. Officers later confirmed that the girl, a Class 11 student staying with her uncle in the Cantonment area for her studies, had been missing since November 10.

Murder Planned After Online Relationship Turned Sour

According to police officials, the accused was posted as a Nayak in the Army and currently stationed in Patiala. He had come to Prayagraj on one month’s leave ahead of his marriage, scheduled for November 30. Investigators revealed that the teenager had befriended Deepak on Instagram about three months earlier. She had allegedly been insisting he marry her. She reportedly threatened to expose their relationship if he refused to marry her.

On November 10, police say Deepak contacted the girl under the pretext of meeting her and took her to an orchard on his motorcycle. There, he allegedly slit her throat with a knife and buried her body before leaving the scene. CCTV footage captured the pair travelling together on the bike that day.

Key Evidence Leads to Arrest

A breakthrough came when officers recovered a bag from the crime scene containing a book with a name and phone number, which helped trace the suspect. Initially registered as a kidnapping case after the girl went missing, the case was later upgraded to include murder charges following the post-mortem examination.

During interrogation, Deepak confessed to the crime, telling police that the girl wanted to marry someone serving in the Army, which is how their relationship had begun. His arrest has brought the five-day-long investigation to a close, though further legal proceedings are underway.

Long or Short, get news the way you like. No ads. No redirections. Download Newspin and Stay Alert, The CSR Journal Mobile app, for fast, crisp, clean updates!

App Store – https://apps.apple.com/in/app/newspin/id6746449540

Google Play Store – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.inventifweb.newspin&pcampaignid=web_share