UP: Woman strangled to death by fiance, his lover in Balrampur; body set ablaze

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An 18-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death here, and the body was doused with kerosene and set on fire to destroy evidence, police said on Wednesday.

The victim's fiance, his lover and the lover's mother have been arrested in this connection, they added.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Vikas Kumar said the victim, Shalimunish, a resident of Laldeeh Hussainabad Grant area, was engaged a few months ago to Imran (22), a resident of Chhapia in neighbouring Gonda district.

During this period, Imran allegedly developed a relationship with another woman, Sakina, through social media. When Shalimunish came to know about the affair, she objected, which allegedly sparked the conspiracy to kill her, the SP said.

According to police, Sakina called Shalimunish to her house on Tuesday, where Imran was already present. The two allegedly strangled the victim to death.

To conceal the crime and make it appear as a case of suicide, Imran, Sakina and her mother Zainab allegedly poured kerosene on the body and set it on fire, the officer said.

The body has been sent for postmortem examination, police said, adding, a case under relevant provisions has been lodged at Rehra Bazar police station and the three accused have been arrested.