30-year-old and pregnant wife found murdered in their flat in Daighar near Mumbra. Police suspect couple was killed as they had eloped from hometown and that the woman had converted to Hinduism after marriage



The flat in Daighar where the deceased couple used to stay

A 30-year-old man and his nine-month pregnant wife were found murdered in their flat in Daighar near Mumbra on Thursday. It is being suspected as a case of honour killing as it was an inter-faith marriage.

Both were killed with a sharp knife and the post-mortem report suggested that the murder had happened 48 hours before they were found.

The Shil-Daighar police and the Thane crime branch are jointly investigating the matter and a team is already headed to Uttar Pradesh from where the couple hails.

The deceased have been identified as Vijay Shankar Yadav and Sufiya Abrar Mansoori alias Priya Vijay Shankar Yadav (22).

The two had fled their hometown on April 9, 2015, and come to Mumbai, where they got married, in Nirmal Nagar court in Bandra, and started residing in Daighar.

The incident

Inspector (crime) Sanjay Patil said, "On Thursday around 10.45 am, Suleman Shaikh, brother of the landlord, who resides in the neighbouring flat, called up the control room, saying the flat where the Yadavs were staying had been locked for a while and a stench was emanating from it. We sent a team immediately and found the bodies."

Stabbed in the stomach

Vijay's throat had been slit and Sufiya had been stabbed in the stomach thrice.

"The unborn child died too with its legs sticking out of her stomach. We are questioning parents of both the deceased. So far they have claimed that they didn't have any problem with their marriage," added Patil.

Investigation on

A crime branch officer said, "It could be a case of honour killing. Sufiya had converted to Hinduism, which had not gone down well with her family. We suspect that on the occasion of Eid, her relatives visited the two and killed them."

A case has been registered at Shil-Daighar police station under section 302 (Punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code.