The Uttar Pradesh police have arrested a suspect in the murder of a female farmer who had been missing for more than two weeks. According to police, the body parts of 25-year-old Anchal Mishra were recovered from a forested area in Shravasti district on Tuesday.
He left home on February 17
Mishra, a mother of two and district president of the women’s wing of the farmers’ union, was missing since February 17. According to her husband Santosh Mishra, the victim left home on the pretext of attending a meeting at Bhinga.
A missing persons complaint was filed by the woman’s husband on February 19 after she did not return home.
How the body was found
A breakthrough in the case came on Tuesday, March 3, when police traced the last known location of the missing woman’s phone to a forest in the Kakardari Mountains.
During the search, investigators also found parts of her body, including a skull, jaw and spine. Her clothes and shoes were also recovered from nearby.
Suspect arrested
Based on the husband’s complaint, the police on Tuesday arrested one Suraj Verma in connection with the murder. According to the police, Verma and Mishra were in contact for almost four months and were allegedly in a relationship.
Police said Verma also stayed close to the family as the woman disappeared on the pretext of helping them search for her. The police became suspicious after learning that Verma’s phone was also active in the same area at the same time as Mishra.
What did the accused say
According to the police, Verma, who has several criminal cases against him in the past, has confessed to murdering Mishra by strangling her. Verma allegedly claimed that the victim demanded money and allegedly threatened to file a police complaint if he refused, for which he took the extreme step.
On 17 February, Verma convinced Mishra to accompany him to the forest, where he strangled her to death. According to the police, Verma fled the spot after hiding the body. They believe that the remains of the victims were eaten by wild animals, leaving only a few bones.
