A woman was allegedly murdered by her fiancé just an hour before their wedding ceremony in Bhavnagar city, Gujarat. The incident occurred near Tekri Chowk in the Prabhudas Lake area, where the couple, Sajan Baraiya and Soni Himmat Rathod, had been living together for over a year, despite opposition from their families.
Most wedding rituals were already completed, and the house was prepared for the big day. However, an argument erupted between the couple over a saree and money, spiraling into tragic incident.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police RR Singhal, Sajan grabbed an iron pipe, struck Soni repeatedly, and smashed her head against a wall, killing her instantly, NDTV reported.
Accused Flees After Crime; Police Probe Underway
After the attack, Sajan reportedly vandalised property inside the house and fled the scene before police could arrive. Local police immediately cordoned off the area and rushed Soni's body for post-mortem examination as investigations got underway.
"The couple were living together despite opposition from their families. They were living together for one to one-and-a-half years. Yesterday was their wedding. The two had an argument over saree and money," NDTV quoted Deputy Superintendent of Police RR Singhal as saying.
"During the course of the argument, Sajan hit Soni with an iron pipe. He also smashed her head against the wall, killing her on the spot. The body has been sent for post-mortem and a detailed probe is underway," he added.
Officers revealed that Sajan's violent outburst followed a prior altercation with a neighbour earlier that day, leading to a separate police complaint. Multiple teams have been deployed to track and apprehend the accused man.
Authorities have registered a case in connection with the murder and continue to investigate the circumstances that led to the tragic escalation of a domestic argument into a fatal crime.