Father, 2 Relatives Held in Kushinagar Honour Killing, NCW Seeks Probe Report

The National Commission for Women (NCW) on Saturday took suo motu cognisance of the brutal murder of a 15-year-old girl from Kushinagar, whose mutilated and decapitated body was allegedly recovered from a train coach at Gomti Nagar Railway Station earlier this month.

In a statement, the commission said media reports had raised suspicion of a possible “honour killing” or “hate crime” linked to the teenager’s alleged interfaith relationship. NCW Chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar has written to the Uttar Pradesh Police chief, directing authorities to conduct an “immediate, impartial and time-bound investigation” and submit an action taken report within seven days.

According to police, the victim’s father allegedly killed the girl with the help of his sister and brother-in-law after objecting to her alleged relationship with a boy from another faith. Investigators said the accused first assaulted the teenager and later conspired with relatives to murder her after she allegedly attempted suicide. Police claimed he sent his wife and sons away from home before carrying out the crime.

The mutilated torso of the girl was recovered on May 17 from a trunk inside a coach of the Chhapra-Gomti Nagar Express at Gomti Nagar Railway Station. Her severed head was later recovered from a pond in Kushinagar, while her hands and legs were allegedly packed separately in polythene bags.

Police have so far booked and arrested three persons , the girl’s father, aunt and uncle in connection with the murder. Authorities are probing charges including murder, destruction of evidence and criminal conspiracy.

The NCW has sought details on the FIR sections invoked, forensic findings, CCTV footage, call detail records and efforts to recover the weapon used in the crime. It also directed investigators to examine all possible angles related to honour killing and domestic violence while ensuring the safety of witnesses and vulnerable family members.

Under Indian law, interfaith marriages are legal under the Special Marriage Act, 1954, which allows two adults from different religions to marry without conversion. The Constitution guarantees adults the right to choose their partners, and courts, including the Supreme Court of India, have repeatedly upheld such marriages as a matter of personal liberty.