Find her killers: Man's suicide threat reveals wife's murder, body burning cover-up

For nearly two months, Gaurishankar Kumar searched for answers that nobody seemed willing to give.

His wife, 19-year-old Sujata Kumari, had suddenly disappeared. Phone calls went unanswered. Her family claimed ignorance. As days turned into weeks, his fears grew darker.

Then came a desperate public appeal that would ultimately crack open a chilling murder mystery.

Posting emotional videos on social media, Gaurishankar pleaded with authorities to find his wife. In one of the messages, he warned that if those responsible for her disappearance were not arrested, he would take his own life.

What initially appeared to be a missing-person case has now turned into a suspected honour killing that has shocked Bihar's Muzaffarpur district.

Police say Sujata was allegedly strangled to death by members of her own family for marrying outside her caste. Investigators further allege that her body was burned on the banks of the Budhi Gandak river in an attempt to wipe out all evidence of the crime.

The breakthrough came only after Gaurishankar's persistence forced authorities to dig deeper into the case.

The couple's story began years ago. Residents of neighbouring villages, Sujata and Gaurishankar had known each other since their school days. Their friendship blossomed into a relationship in 2020 and survived family opposition for six years.

In January this year, the couple eloped and married in Samastipur before moving to Haryana. But their marriage triggered outrage in Sujata's family because they belonged to different castes.

A kidnapping case was subsequently registered against Gaurishankar. When police traced the couple and produced them before a court in February, Sujata made her position clear. She told the court she was an adult, had married of her own free will and wanted to live with her husband.

Yet the young bride's fight for her choice was far from over.

After legal proceedings separated the couple, Sujata eventually returned to her parental home during Holi. According to Gaurishankar, he last spoke to her on March 31. After that, she vanished.

As weeks passed without any trace of his wife, Gaurishankar became convinced that something terrible had happened. Refusing to accept her disappearance, he launched a campaign on social media and repeatedly approached police, alleging that his wife had been killed by her own relatives.

His warnings, emotional appeals and threat to end his own life if justice was not delivered eventually drew wider attention to the case.

Acting on his complaint, Muzaffarpur police constituted a special investigation team under the supervision of senior officers.

The investigation soon led officers to Sujata's brother, Abhishek Kumar.

According to police, the accused confessed during questioning that family members feared Sujata would once again return to her husband. Investigators allege that this fear turned into a deadly conspiracy.

Police claim Sujata was strangled on May 8 and her body was later taken to the Budhi Gandak riverbank and set on fire to destroy evidence.

Forensic experts have since collected samples from the site identified during the investigation. Police say the involvement of more than five family members has emerged and efforts are underway to arrest the remaining suspects.

- Ends

with inputs from Mani Bhushan