UP SHOCKER! Muzaffarnagar man hires two killers to gang-rape, murder and burn sister-in-law with Rs 40k loan

A 21-year-old woman from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh, was brutally gang-raped, murdered, and set on fire by her brother-in-law, who allegedly took a Rs 40,000 bank loan to hire two killers and fund the heinous crime. The chilling incident has shocked the community and sparked widespread outrage.

The woman, who went missing from her village on January 21, was found dead with her remains, including her skull, recovered from a nearby forest on Friday. Her body was severely charred, making identification difficult. However, police said the victim was identified by her parents based on partially-burnt clothes, footwear, a ring, hair with a clip, and undergarments—all recovered from the crime scene.

The victim’s family reported her disappearance on January 23, after which an investigation was launched. Police discovered that the primary accused, Ashish, who was the woman's brother-in-law, had been involved in an illicit relationship with her for the past two years. According to Superintendent of Police (Rural) Aditya Bansal, Ashish confessed that the woman had been blackmailing him with compromising private photos and videos of their relationship. In a desperate attempt to silence her, Ashish planned the gruesome crime, hiring two accomplices, Shubham and Deepak, to assist him.

The police revealed that the three men lured the woman away from her home, gang-raped her, and then strangled her to death. In a bid to destroy any evidence, Ashish set her body on fire, leaving it nearly unrecognizable. The woman’s charred remains were later discovered by authorities in a forest area near her village.

Ashish, the main accused, was arrested on Saturday, and he has reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime. However, the two other suspects, Shubham and Deepak, are still on the run. Police are continuing efforts to apprehend the absconding duo.

An FIR has been filed against the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including murder and gang-rape. The body has been sent for a postmortem examination, and a forensic examination is underway to gather further evidence.