Lucknow | In a shocking case of violent crime, a 16-year-old girl was allegedly strangled to death in Lucknow after two young men suspected her of being in relationships with both of them. The accused later placed her body on a railway track in an attempt to destroy evidence, police officials said.
Lucknow Police confirmed that four men were arrested on Republic Day in connection with the murder. The primary accused have been identified as Anshu Gautam alias Lucky (20) and Ashiq Yadav (20), who are close friends. Two others—Rinshu Yadav (20) and Vaibhav Singh Rajput (23)—were allegedly involved in assisting the crime.
According to police, the incident was triggered by a personal dispute after the two main accused believed the minor girl was “two-timing” them. Enraged by the suspicion, they allegedly decided to punish her.
Suresh Singh, the station in-charge of the concerned police station, said all four accused are local residents and work at a private factory in the city.
The case came to light after the victim’s mother filed a missing complaint on January 16, alleging that her daughter had gone missing after leaving with one of the accused. Police registered a case and began a search operation using technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs.
During interrogation, Anshu allegedly confessed that he had been in regular contact with the girl through phone calls and social media. Police said he also revealed that the girl had later become close to Ashiq, without knowing that both men were friends.
Investigators stated that after discovering the overlapping relationships, the two accused conspired to harm the girl. On January 13, she was reportedly called to a meeting spot, where she was forcibly pulled into an SUV by the accused.
Police said the girl was assaulted and strangled inside the vehicle. After her death, the accused allegedly placed her body on a railway track to make it appear like an accident. The body was later run over by a passing train, resulting in severe mutilation. Her mobile phone was also destroyed to erase digital evidence.
The police have recovered the victim’s body and seized the vehicle allegedly used in the crime.
An FIR was initially registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) related to kidnapping and abduction. Following confirmation of the girl’s death, murder charges were added to the case. Further investigation is underway.
