A 21-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha following a dispute with her husband after she refused to cook chicken at home and prepared vegetarian food instead, police said on Friday. The woman’s family has alleged that she was killed by her in-laws over unmet dowry demands. A murder case was registered, police said.

The victim’s husband, Nigam, who disposed of Reena’s body in the Ganga to conceal the crime, and two others have been arrested. Two other accused are on the run. Reena was married to Nigam about ten months ago.

The incident occurred on August 21, when Nigam lodged a missing person report at the local police station, claiming his wife had run away from home. However, during questioning, he broke down and confessed to his involvement in the case.

According to the police, Nigam returned home that night with liquor and chicken, expecting his wife to cook non-vegetarian food. Instead, Reena prepared a vegetable dish, which sparked a heated argument between the couple.

Police said that Nigam admitted that he assaulted his wife during the fight. Later that night, Reena allegedly died by suicide after hanging herself.

Fearing retaliation from her family, Nigam, with the help of his relatives, wrapped Reena’s body in a sheet, filled it with soil, and threw it into the Ganga.

He then tried to mislead the police by filing a missing report. So far, only Reena’s drape has been recovered from the river.

On the complaint of Reena’s family, police registered a case of dowry death against Nigam and five members of his family.

Three accused, including Nigam and his cousin Bijendra, have been arrested and sent to jail. However, Nigam’s father Suresh and mother Kunta are still on the run.

Horam Singh, brother of the victim, has demanded that the police recover his sister’s body and take strict action against all those responsible.

Additional Superintendent of Police Akhilesh Bhadauria confirmed the sequence of events, stating that the incident was initially reported as a case of disappearance on August 21.

“Upon a detailed investigation, it came to light that the woman had died a day earlier following a dispute with her husband. After the incident, the accused disposed of the body in the river. A case of dowry murder has been registered, three arrests have been made, and further action is underway,” he said.

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Published On:

Sep 13, 2025