Woman lawyer found brutally murdered in CG forest; ‘lover’ held

Raipur: Four days after the body of a woman lawyer was found in a forest in Chhattisgarh’s Raigarh district, police on Saturday claimed to have cracked the murder with the arrest of her alleged lover, who they said killed her after repeated arguments over marriage.The 30-year-old victim, a junior advocate practising at Raigarh district court and a member of the district bar association, was found dead on May 12 in Punjipathra forest region. Her face was smashed with a stone and injury marks were found on her neck.Police arrested Loknath Patel, 30, a resident of Charpara, who worked as a labourer. Investigators said Patel came in contact with the woman through social media in 2024 and their friendship gradually turned into a relationship.As he was already married, it led to frequent disputes, police said.He allegedly planned the murder and bought a vegetable-cutting knife before taking her out.On May 10, Patel took her towards Sakti on his bike for an outing for two days.The next morning, around 5.30am, Patel took her on his bike towards Tumidih forest where he first strangled her, then smashed her head and face with a stone to conceal her identity. When he realised she was still breathing, he slit her throat with the knife.Investigators said Patel removed her clothes and scattered them near the body to mislead police.He threw near a pond, burnt her Aadhaar and ATM cards, and later smashed her mobile phone before dumping it near a drain.The case had sparked outrage among the legal fraternity soon after the information about the body of the woman lawyer went viral. Members of the Raigarh district bar association met the SSP on Friday and demanded strict action.The association also resolved that no local advocate would represent the accused and said outside lawyers would be requested not to take up his defence.Police said CCTV footage, bike number details, mobile location and technical evidence helped them in tracing Patel.He has been booked for murder and other offences, and further investigation is on, cops said.Investigators said Patel came in contact with the woman through social media and as he was already married, it led to frequent disputes, over which he killed her