Mother Arrested for Killing 19-Year-Old Daughter Over Relationship in West Delhi

New Delhi: Police on Saturday arrested the mother of a 19-year-old woman, Noor, who was allegedly killed by her family for continuing a relationship to which they were opposed.

The woman’s father Mohammad Maneer (55), a vegetable vendor, and her brother, Meraj Ali (19), who worked as a helper in a private company, were arrested on Friday. The family lived in Tihar village in west Delhi’s Hari Nagar.

Police said Rabiya Khatun (55), the mother, had held her daughter’s legs while she was being smothered. During questioning, Rabiya, also a vegetable vendor, told police that the family’s reputation was being tarnished due to her daughter’s relationship with a man from their native village. This led them to plan the murder.

The father pinned down Noor’s hands while the brother smothered her with a pillow. The post-mortem report confirmed smothering as the cause of death. Police have also recorded the statement of the man she was reportedly in a relationship with. They have also added Section 238 (causing disappearance of evidence or giving false information to screen an offender) of BNS to the case.

Sources said the family told neighbours that Noor had died of kidney failure and jaundice, but police found no medical record to support the claims.

The murder came to light around 2 pm on Wednesday after police got a call from one of the woman’s friends, who told them that the family was attempting to take the body for burial. A police team rushed to the spot and took custody of the body.

The family, originally from Bihar, had moved to Delhi last year and was living in rented accommodation in Tihar village.