Marriage Pressure: Jhansi Woman Chopped Into 7 Parts, Head Thrown In River, Ex-Pradhan Held For Murder

In a shocking incident that stunned the city of Jhansi, a headless and mutilated body of a woman was found inside a well last week. Police investigations into the crime revealed that the victim, 35-year-old Rachna Yadav, was brutally murdered by her lover, ex-Maheba village pradhan Sanjay Patel, following what is believed to have been her insistence on marrying him.

As per the police, Rachna, who has two children, had been dating Patel for months. Patel was, however, already married with two kids. While Rachna started making demands of marriage after her partner Shivraj died in June, Patel denied her.

On 9th August, Patel, along with the assistance of his nephew Sandeep Patel and friend Pradeep alias Deepak Ahirwar, murdered Rachna by strangulation. In a morbid effort to destroy her identity, they cut her body into seven pieces, packed them into bags, and threw them into a well in a village. Her head and legs were thrown into the Lakheri river so that she could not be identified.

The crime was unearthed on 13th August, when a farmer detected a bad smell emanating from the well and informed locals. Police drained the well to retrieve the decomposed body but couldn’t locate the head at first.

Phone records revealed the truth

Villagers suspected the remains could be Rachna’s and informed her brother in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh. Investigators then traced her call records, which showed frequent conversations with Sanjay Patel. A late-night raid on Patel’s house followed, during which he confessed to the crime.

“Two accused, Sanjay and his nephew Sandeep, have been arrested. We are hunting down the third accused, Pradeep. All body parts have been recovered,” Jhansi SSP BBGTS Murthy stated, further asserting that the police team was rewarded for cracking the case at such speed.

Rachna’s turbulent past

Rachna’s life was tainted with personal turmoil. She was twice married and had two kids from her first husband. Having parted ways with her second husband, she started staying with Shivraj Yadav in Maheba. As recently as 2023, she had even registered an FIR against Shivraj and his older brother, alleging dowry harassment, rape, and attempt to murder. After Shivraj died in June this year, she approached Patel with the hope of marriage and security.

The revelation of her mangled body has shocked Malwara and Maheba residents. For most, the heinousness of the murder represents an individual as well as a deeply ingrained trend of violence against women who have the courage to assert their rights in relationships.

Police have issued a ₹25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the third accused who has gone into hiding, Pradeep. The probe is ongoing meanwhile.

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