A 22-year-old man allegedly murdered a Dalit woman and abducted her daughter at a village in Meerut on Thursday (January 8, 2026) morning, police said.
The incident has triggered tension in the locality, prompting authorities to deploy additional police forces. The deceased was identified as the mother of a 20-year-old woman.
According to the police, the incident occurred around 8 a.m. at Kapsad village in the Sardhana area when the two women were walking toward their fields.
They were intercepted near a canal by the accused, identified as Paras, who worked as a compounder for a local doctor.
Reacting to the incident, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati termed the episode “tragic and worrying”.
“The recent incident in Sardhana police station area of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, where a Dalit mother was murdered and her daughter abducted, is extremely tragic, shameful, and deeply concerning,” she wrote in a post on X.
“The government must take these incidents of violation of women’s dignity and subsequent murder with utmost seriousness and take immediate and strict action against the culprits to prevent criminal elements from committing such heinous acts in the future. The government must pay adequate attention, especially to the issue of women’s safety,” she added.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Paras and the 20-year-old woman were acquaintances from the same village.
The police said the accused began misbehaving with the women. When the mother objected, Paras allegedly struck her on the head with a sharp-edged sugarcane-cutting weapon. He then forcibly took the younger woman away.
Villagers reached the spot upon hearing the victim’s cries and took the injured woman to a hospital. She later succumbed to her injuries during treatment.
The death led to protests at the hospital, where activists and members of the Bhim Army demanded the immediate arrest of the accused. The demonstrations led to brief altercations with the police.
Senior officials, including Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada, were present at the site, and talks with the deceased’s family and villagers went on for several hours.
The SSP assured the family that a case has been registered under stringent provisions against two accused based on the family’s complaint.
“More than ten police teams are working across districts to apprehend the accused and ensure the girl’s safe recovery. Both hail from the same village. We are acting swiftly on all leads,” he said.
District Magistrate Dr. V.K. Singh told PTI that the family has received a cheque of Rs 10 lakh from the Chief Minister’s Office. The administration was also considering to provide an arms license to the family in view of security concerns, he said.
The family has been assured that the remaining accused would be arrested and strict action will be taken against them. Additionally, immediate security will be provided for the family, the DM said, adding that the law and order situation in the area is currently peaceful.
Circle Officer Ashutosh Kumar said a case has been registered based on the complaint.
Family refuses to perform last rites, demand safe return of daughter
Grief simmered in Kapsad village in Sardhana area in Meerut on Friday (January 9), even as a heavy police force has been deployed to maintain law and order, officials said.
The deceased woman was cremated late in the evening following several hours of negotiations between the grieving family and the administration.
Earlier, the family had refused to perform the last rites, demanding the arrest of the accused and strict action against alleged illegal constructions by them in the area, and seeking the safe recovery of the missing daughter.
Published – January 10, 2026 03:19 pm IST
