Love, betrayal, and revenge: Man kills ex-lover after her marriage to another, lynched by mob in Banda
According to the first information report (FIR), Rahul entered the house through the roof and fatally stabbed Zakreen. Her mother, Hajra, rushed in upon hearing screams and found her daughter in a pool of blood, with Rahul holding a knife.
A man who had changed his religion to marry the woman he loved allegedly killed her after she married someone else on Monday night. In retaliation, a mob lynched him, triggering tensions in Mahabara village under Pailani police limits, Banda.
The deceased woman, 23-year-old Zakreen, was attacked in her room by Rahul Valmiki, also known as Murshid Khan, a resident of Subada village. According to the first information report (FIR), Rahul entered the house through the roof and fatally stabbed Zakreen. Her mother, Hajra, rushed in upon hearing screams and found her daughter in a pool of blood, with Rahul holding a knife.
As news of the murder spread, enraged villagers overpowered Rahul and brutally beat him to death.
Preliminary investigations revealed that Rahul and Zakreen had been in a relationship for over five years. Three years ago, Rahul converted religion to marry her, allegedly with the assurance of Zakreen’s mother. However, she recently married another man, Irfan, in Banda. Zakreen had returned to her parent’s home in Mahabara village just a day before the attack.
Rahul’s father, Gaya Prasad, claimed he was unaware of his son’s whereabouts. “They were in love for more than five years. On the assurance of her mother, he changed his religion to marry her. But after her marriage to someone else, he was deeply hurt,” he told the police.
In the aftermath of the violence, both families have filed FIRs. Rahul’s father has accused Zakreen’s mother, Hajra, her sisters Seema and Saba, her uncle Shamim, and several unidentified individuals of murder and violations under the SC/ST Act.
Authorities have deployed heavy police presence in Mahabara village to prevent further unrest. Banda superintendent of police (SP) Ankur Agarwal confirmed that both FIRs are under investigation, and several individuals are being questioned.