(Representational Image)A 55-YEAR-OLD man was arrested for allegedly stabbing his pregnant daughter to death after she rejected two marriage proposals, and eloped with a man from their village in Allahabad district of Uttar Pradesh, said police.
Mumbai Police, which began probing the matter after the body of Meenakshi Chaurasia was found in Ghatkopar (west) Sunday morning, arrested her father, Rajkumar, on Monday. Deputy Commissioner of Police (zone VII), Akhilesh Kumar Singh, said, “We have arrested Rajkumar Chaurasia, father of the woman who was found stabbed to death…”
Singh said Chaurasia, who has a paan shop in Matunga, had called his daughter to an isolated spot in Ghatkopar on the pretext of giving her some money to purchase clothes. When the duo met on Saturday night, the accused stabbed her in the neck several times before fleeing.
He later accompanied his son-in-law to the police station, asking police personnel to track down the woman’s killers. An officer linked to the case said Rajkumar had made preparations for his daughter’s wedding last year and distributed cards. However, the woman did not want to get married. The wedding was cancelled and another wedding was arranged with a man from Virar in March.
“As she was in a relationship with another man, Brijesh Chaurasia, from their village, she eloped with him. Her father, who did not approve of the wedding, registered a kidnapping case against Brijesh. However, she produced the marriage certificate,” said Singh.
The deceased had been residing with Brijesh in Ghatkopar since then. She resumed communication with her father, who had put forth the condition that she never visit their village again, said police. Investigators said marriage among people of the village was frowned upon as most of them were considered distant relatives.
“Recently, Rajkumar came to know that Brijesh was going to visit their village for a festival and she (Meenakshi) had plans to accompany him. This appears to have been the trigger,” said an officer. “He called her near the Narayan Nagar auto stand, an isolated spot. He reportedly dropped a few currency notes on the ground. As soon as she bent to pick up the notes, he stabbed her several times in the neck with a chopper he was carrying,” added the officer.
When his wife did not return, Brijesh began looking for her. After police found the body, they confirmed it belonged to Meenakshi.
“We found that Rajkumar’s location showed in the Narayan Nagar area, where the body was found. He claimed to be in Chembur. During the course of interrogation, he broke down and confessed,” said an officer.
