Money demands led to murder: 22-year-old woman killed in UP hotel room; man arrested after encounter

VARANASI: A youth was arrested on Thursday for allegedly murdering a 22-year-old woman, whose body was discovered in a hotel room in Roopapur, under the jurisdiction of Mirzamurad police station, on Wednesday.According to reports, Mirzamurad police were informed about the body of an unidentified young woman discovered in the hotel room on 2 July. Officers promptly reached the scene to begin investigation and identify the victim. During the process, Chandrashekhar Bind, a resident of Mehdiganj village, identified the woman as his daughter, Alka Bind. Several items were recovered from the scene, including a knife, mobile cover, sandals, hair clip, blood samples, laptop bag, diary, and other belongings. The evidence was sealed, and a case was registered under Section 103(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Using CCTV footage, hotel register records, technical surveillance, and the deceased's mobile call data, police identified the suspect as Sahab Bind, a resident of Baraini village in Kachhwa Bazaar, Mirzapur district. He was tracked to his sister’s house in Bhadohi and arrested on Thursday by the Mirzamurad police.

During questioning, Sahab confessed to the murder. He said he worked in a garment unit in Surat, Gujarat, and had met the victim at a wedding in Mehdiganj in 2024. A relationship developed between them, and they reportedly met twice earlier at the same hotel during Navratri and Holi festivals. The accused claimed that the woman had been demanding money from him repeatedly, which prompted him to plan the murder. On 2 July, he travelled from Surat to Varanasi, booked a room at the hotel, and called the woman there.

He then killed her by slitting her throat with a knife and fled with her mobile phone and admit card to hide her identity. Following his arrest, police took him to the crime scene, the escape route, and for recovery of evidence. During the site visit, the accused suddenly snatched a policeman's pistol and tried to escape while firing at the police team. The police responded in self-defence and shot him in the leg. He was admitted to hospital for treatment. Police recovered the murder weapon, the victim's phone, ID card, academic documents, and the accused’s mobile. Efforts are ongoing to trace the shop from where the knife was purchased and to recover the suspect’s discarded phone.