UP Man Held After Parts of Woman's Body Found in Well, Head Recovered From Pond

The accused, Prince Yadav, had allegedly killed the woman after she refused to break her marriage for him.

(Trigger Warning: Description of violence. Reader discretion advised.)

Close on the heels of the gruesome murder of Shraddha Walkar, a 24-year-old man was arrested in Uttar Pradesh's Azamgarh for allegedly killing a woman and chopping her body before disposing of it in a well, police said on Sunday, 20 November.

The incident had come to light after locals had found the dismembered and partially naked body in the well.

"On 16 November, the body of an unknown woman was found in the well located on the side of a road in Ahiraula, near Paschimi village. The body did not have a head, and was cut into multiple parts," Azamgarh Superintendent of Police Anurag Arya said.

The deceased was identified as 22-year-old Aradhana Prajapati, a resident of Ishaq Pur village. Her identity was determined on the basis of a bangle and a thread on her wrist, and the nail paint on her feet.

After investigation and CDR (call detail record) analysis, Prince Yadav, who had allegedly been in a relationship with the deceased for about two years, was arrested on Saturday, the police said.

Why Did Prince Yadav Murder the Woman?

Prince Yadav allegedly decided to murder Aradhana when she refused to break her marriage for him.

"During questioning, he shared that he had relations with the deceased woman for about two years. He was living and working outside India, in Sharjah. This year, in February, the deceased got married to another man. When he got this information, he returned and pressurised the woman to marry him. His parents also encouraged him and told him to go after this woman and marry her, telling him that if she refused, they would get her out of the way."

Anurag Arya, Superintendent of Police, Azamgarh

On 10 November, the woman had met with Yadav in a restaurant near his uncle's village. From there, he took her to a field near the village where he strangled her.

He then cut her body into parts and packed them in polythenes with the help of his cousin, Sarvesh, and took them by motorcycle to the well where the body was later found, as per the police. He further disposed of the head in a nearby pond.

What Has the Police Recovered So Far?

"Till now, we have recovered a log of wood from the pond, a part of the deceased's head which was not there in the pond, a part of the body from near the sugarcane field, two hand-held choppers used in the incident, clothes of the deceased, and some leaves with blood on them," Azamgarh SP Anurag Arya said.

Why Was Prince Shot by the Police?

The police said that when they had taken Prince Yadav to the site of the crime for the recovery of evidence on Sunday, the accused had fired at the police team.

The accused had allegedly concealed a country-made pistol and used it against police in an attempt to flee from their custody.

"In a controlled firing by the police for self-protection, the accused was shot in the right knee and fell unconscious. He was taken to the hospital and is stable," Azamgarh SP Arya stated in a briefing.

Who Are the Other Accused in the Case?

Prince Yadav's cousin, Sarvesh, who had assisted him in the crime, is absconding. An award of Rs 25,000 has been announced for his arrest.

Seven other people have also been named as accused in the case, including Prince's mother, father, sister, uncle, and aunt.

The incident comes days after a horrific murder came to light in Delhi, wherein a youth killed his live-in partner, chopped her body into several parts, and disposed of them at different locations in the city.