Charred Bodies Of Couple Who Eloped Found Near Forest In UP's Sonbhadra, Suicide Suspected

Charred bodies of a couple who eloped to get married were found in UP's Sonbhadra district, police suspect suicide.

In a suspected case of suicide, charred bodies of a couple were found near a forest area in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra district. The grim discovery was made on Saturday, after neighbours noticed smoke around the Thakurai jungle late in the afternoon.

Preliminary Investigation

According to an IANS report, the neighbours alerted the police after discovering bodies. Preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased were — Pankaj Chuhan, 25 and Bandani Chauhan, 20. Police suspect that the couple had committed suicide.

The Additional Superintendent of Police Tribhuvan Nath Tripathi said that police recovered several items next to the remains of the couple which indicated that the duo may have consumed poison before setting themselves on fire. The police are investigating the possible reason behind them taking the extreme step.

Other items the police found next to the bodies included, a petrol container, poison, a match box and blanket, which raised suspicions that the couple had a premeditated plan to end their lives when they entered the forest.

Eloped To Get Married

Further investigation revealed that the couple had been in a relationship for several years and hoped to get married. However, their family opposed their union. Pankaj was booked under the POCSO Act on charges of kidnapping and rape after he eloped with Bandani, he was arrested, as she was a minor then, as per the report. 

He was released on bail and the couple reconnected. They had eloped in 2022 to get married.