A shocking case has come to light from Bihar, where a Hindu woman, Ankita Kumari, was killed at her marital home in Begusarai district. Her family stated that her husband, Mohammad Arzoo, murdered her by strangling her and then hanging her body to make it look like suicide. Ankita’s mother, Draupadi Devi, said Arzoo and his family were harassing her daughter for dowry and pressuring her to convert to Islam. Police have registered a case and started an investigation.
According to Draupadi Devi, Ankita worked as a nurse at a hospital in Munger, where she came in contact with Arzoo. The two entered into a relationship, following which Ankita eloped with him and married him in 2021.
The family had also filed a police complaint after Ankita left home with him. However, since both were adults, a court allowed them to live together as husband and wife.
Draupadi said the couple’s relationship initially remained cordial, but tensions began within a few months of their marriage. Ankita frequently complained about physical and mental harassment by her husband and in-laws.
The situation worsened after Ankita gave birth to a daughter in 2023. Draupadi said Arzoo and his family were demanding dowry and repeatedly pressuring Ankita to convert to Islam. She said her daughter continued to follow Hinduism and faced harassment for refusing to change her religion.
Fight over visiting a Durga temple
According to her mother, the harassment continued even after these efforts. On October 19, Ankita wanted Arzoo to take her to a Durga temple in Badi Ballia to offer prayers during Dussehra. Draupadi said Arzoo became angry and assaulted their daughter.
She further said Ankita spoke to her around 11 pm that night and expressed her wish to return to her parental home. During the conversation, Ankita was frightened and told her mother that her in-laws had also stopped her from visiting a Durga Puja fair.
At around 2 am, Arzoo informed the family that Ankita had died by suicide by hanging. However, Draupadi rejected this account and said Arzoo had strangled her daughter before hanging her body to make the death appear to be a suicide.
Family names husband and in-laws in complaint
On October 20, Ankita’s family approached the local police station and filed a complaint. The complaint named Arzoo, his brother Mohammad Arman, Arman’s wife, their sister and another person. The family said that they were involved in Ankita’s death.
Draupadi said that Arzoo had previously been involved in another case related to an interfaith relationship and was an accused in an Arms Act case.
Police took custody of Ankita’s body and sent it for a postmortem examination before handing it over to her family.
Senior police officer Nikhil Kumar confirmed that a case had been registered based on Draupadi’s complaint and that an investigation was underway. Balia police station SHO Shailendra Kumar said police teams were conducting raids to arrest the accused, including Arman, his wife and their sister.
The investigation is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding Ankita’s death and examine the family’s accusations of murder, dowry harassment and pressure to convert to Islam.
