Accused sent to judicial custody

Meerut: A local court on Sunday, January 11, sent the main accused in the murder of a Dalit woman and the abduction of her daughter to 14 days of judicial custody in connection with the two crimes in Meerut district’s Kapsad village, officials said.

The abducted young woman, Ruby, 20, who was recovered from Haridwar on January 10, was also produced before a court, where her statement was recorded.

Ruby was presented before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate (ACJM-2) Namrata Singh, where she said that the main accused, Paras, 22, had forcibly taken her with him, officials said.

Following court orders, she was later sent to a One-Stop Centre (Asha Jyoti Kendra). This centre offers help, including medical and legal, to women survivors of violence in Uttar Pradesh.

Police said Paras and Ruby were recovered from Haridwar on Saturday, after which they were brought to Meerut for questioning.

The accused allegedly abducted Ruby from outside the village on the morning of January 8. When her mother, Sunita, intervened, he attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon, killing her on the spot.

Paras was produced before a special CJM court, and during the hearing, the accused claimed innocence, stating that Ruby had accompanied him willingly and that they had been in a relationship for the past two years.

However, considering the charges of murder and abduction levelled by the police, the court ordered that he be sent to judicial custody for 14 days.

Police officials said Ruby also told investigators that after killing her mother, the accused threatened to kill her, too, and forcibly took her along. Investigations have also revealed that no other person was present at the scene at the time of the incident.