A shocking case of alleged murder and destruction of evidence has emerged from Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut district, where police arrested a man and his second wife after the accused allegedly killed his minor daughter and secretly cremated the body to conceal the crime.
According to Senior Superintendent of Police Avinash Pandey, the case came to light on May 26 after a complaint was filed at Bhawanpur Police Station by Bhupesh Sharma, a resident of Hapur and maternal relative of the deceased girl.
Police said the minor girl had been living with her father and stepmother in Gokuldham Colony in Meerut. The complainant informed authorities that the girl had died under suspicious circumstances and that her parents allegedly conducted the cremation without informing maternal relatives or local authorities.
The situation escalated when the girl’s maternal uncle reportedly objected to the hurried cremation and was allegedly assaulted during the confrontation.
During the investigation, the complainant submitted an audio recording to police in which the girl allegedly spoke about abuse and mistreatment at home. Officials said the audio clip became a crucial piece of evidence in the case.
“An audio recording provided by the complainant revealed that the girl had spoken of abuse,” SSP Avinash Pandey said while addressing the media.
Police stated that by the time authorities were informed, the body had already been cremated, making post-mortem examination impossible. However, investigators proceeded with legal action based on available digital evidence and witness statements.
A case was subsequently registered under sections related to murder and destruction of evidence.
“Since the body had already been cremated, post-mortem proceedings could not be carried out. However, based on the audio evidence, a case was registered,” the SSP said.
During police interrogation, the father was confronted with the audio recording and other evidence gathered during the probe. According to the police, he later confessed to killing his daughter.
“During interrogation, when confronted with the recording, the father confessed to killing his daughter,” SSP Pandey said.
Police confirmed that both the father and stepmother have been arrested and further legal proceedings are underway.
The incident has triggered outrage in the area, with residents expressing shock over the alleged attempt to secretly dispose of the body before relatives or authorities could intervene.
Investigators are now examining the sequence of events leading to the girl’s death, possible prior incidents of abuse and the exact role played by each accused. Police are also verifying digital evidence, including the audio recording and communication details linked to the family.
The case once again highlights growing concerns over crimes against children and domestic abuse cases being concealed through hurried cremations or destruction of evidence.
Further investigation is ongoing.