Pregnant Teen Beheaded in Dhanbad; Four Arrested After Dog Squad Leads Police to Accused

A 17-year-old girl who was three months pregnant was found beheaded in a forested area of Baliapur in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district, and police have arrested four people in connection with the killing, including her husband and father-in-law.

The victim has been identified as Poonam Kumari. Her blood-soaked torso was spotted in the bushes by local residents, who alerted the police. A search of the surrounding area led to the recovery of her severed head, wrapped in a plastic sack and left beneath a tree near a field roughly 100 metres from the torso.

According to her family, Poonam had been sent from her home in Giridih district to stay with relatives in Dhanbad's Tundi area for her studies. There she met Krish Ravani, and the two fell in love. They ran away and married against the wishes of their families, later moving into a rented house in Baliapur.

Poonam had been missing since Wednesday. On Thursday, her father filed a written complaint at the Baliapur police station. Her body was discovered on Friday morning, after which a forensic team and a dog squad were sent from Ranchi.

Tracking a scent from a slipper left at the crime scene, the dog squad led investigators four kilometres to Krish's house, where police said they found critical evidence. A slipper belonging to Krish's aunt, left behind at the spot, is believed to have helped unravel the case.

Superintendent of Police Ritvik Srivastava said a forensic team collected blood samples and fingerprints from the scene. Four people have been arrested, including the main accused, Krish's father Jayram Ravani, and his aunt, Alomani Devi. The SP said the crime was orchestrated by Jayram with the help of six accomplices.

Police said Jayram was deeply opposed to his son's marriage because he considered the girl's family to be of far lower social standing. Krish had earlier been jailed over the relationship, which caused the family what police described as significant social embarrassment, and a village panchayat had been convened to address the matter. After his release, Krish took Poonam away again, though her father remained against the union. Arrangements were under way to bring both families together at the police station for a settlement before the murder took place.

Following the discovery of the body, rumours of a human sacrifice spread locally after incense sticks and ritual items were found at the scene. Police said it would be premature to draw any conclusion before the investigation is complete.

The body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Police have begun interrogating the arrested accused and are preparing to file a charge sheet soon.