Call Before Death Exposes Alleged Honour Killing; Mother, Brother Arrested
· Free Press Journal
Indore (Madhya Pradesh): A phone call made by 25-year-old Jyoti Agrawal to her boyfriend moments before she allegedly became the victim of an honour killing has emerged as a crucial piece of evidence in the case.
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According to police, Jyoti told her boyfriend that her mother and brother were assaulting her and pleaded with him to come and save her before the call was abruptly disconnected when her mobile phone broke during the scuffle.
The incident took place on the night of April 2 when Jyoti allegedly attempted to meet her boyfriend, who belongs to another caste. Police said her family, which had opposed the relationship, confronted her.
During the altercation, her UPSC aspirant brother, Prakash, allegedly assaulted her and smashed her head against a wall in the presence of their mother, Sheetal.
Investigators alleged that after Jyoti lost consciousness, the mother and son tried to pass off the murder as a suicide by forcing poison into her mouth. She died during treatment the following day.
Jyoti, who ran an online e-commerce business, was alone at home at the time. Her father, an asafoetida trader, was at his shop, police said.
ACP (Hira Nagar) Rubina Mizwani said the family had initially alleged that Jyoti's boyfriend was blackmailing and extorting money from her.
However, during questioning, police found records of mutual financial transactions worth lakhs of rupees between the two, weakening the family's claim.
The boyfriend told investigators that Jyoti called him while preparing to leave home and said her mother and brother were beating her.
Police said call detail records confirmed that the two were speaking shortly before the call ended.
During questioning, the mother allegedly admitted that the family objected to Jyoti speaking on the phone and that the handset broke during the altercation.
Police said the post-mortem report revealed that Jyoti died from a severe head injury behind the ear and had multiple injuries on her body, contradicting the family's claim that she had died after consuming poison.
Investigators also recovered an unopened packet of poison from her room, while deleted CCTV footage and a wiped DVR further raised suspicion.
Based on the forensic evidence and subsequent investigation, police arrested Sheetal and Prakash. Sheetal has been remanded to judicial custody, while Prakash remains in police custody.
Family Claimed Suicide Due To 'Blackmail'
Police said the accused initially claimed that Jyoti had died by suicide because her boyfriend was blackmailing and extorting money from her.
Investigators, however, said the post-mortem findings, digital evidence and other material collected during the probe contradicted that version, leading to the murder case against the mother and son.
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