Late Sunday night, the Selekui Police arrested a husband who had been absconding in connection with a dowry-related murder case; he was apprehended at the local market. The accused, Arif—a resident of Rada Bazar within the Bhira police station area of Lakhimpur Kheri district, Uttar Pradesh—had murdered his wife, Shaheen Bano, on April 21 by strangling her with her *chunni* (scarf). He had fabricated a false narrative to portray the murder as a death caused by illness. However, the post-mortem report subsequently revealed that the death was, in fact, a result of strangulation.
Station In-charge Lokpal Parmar stated that the accused murdered his wife because he did not receive a motorcycle as dowry and also harbored suspicions that she was communicating with another man. The deceased woman’s father, Lal Mohammad, had lodged a formal complaint at the police station on May 1. He informed the police that, ever since the couple’s marriage in 2025, the accused had been persistently demanding a motorcycle as dowry from his daughter. On the day of the incident, the accused had informed him that his daughter was ill; however, when his brother arrived in Selekui, they discovered that she had already passed away.
During interrogation, the accused confessed that he had strangled his wife following an altercation on the day of the incident. He had subsequently told his relatives and neighbors that her death was caused by a medical illness. The post-mortem report conclusively confirmed that Shaheen Bano’s death was caused by strangulation. The police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the accused under the relevant sections of the law.
**Strangled Her in a Fit of Rage After She Kicked Him**
During police interrogation, the accused revealed that he had not received any dowry at the time of his marriage. He had moved to Selekui with his wife for work and was residing in a rented room. Disputes frequently arose over his failure to receive a motorcycle as dowry, and he also harbored deep suspicion regarding his wife’s fidelity. On the day of the incident, during an argument, he flew into a rage after his wife kicked him. He then murdered her by strangling her with her *chunni*. Subsequently, he attempted to mislead everyone by concocting a false story claiming that she had died due to a medical illness.
