A woman was allegedly strangled to death in front of her young children after she refused to elope with her lover, police in India have reported. The suspect remains on the run as authorities continue their search.
Details of the Attack
The victim, identified as 31-year-old Rizwana, lived with her husband Nisar and their two children—eight-year-old Ahada and six-year-old Nida—in the city of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. The suspect, named locally as Faizan, lived in the same building a floor above. Police said the two had been having an affair for about six months before Rizwana broke off the relationship and refused to leave her husband.
According to reports, Faizan moved out of the building on July 7 after Nisar told him to leave and never return. While leaving, Faizan reportedly threatened Nisar, saying, "If my wife would not be his, she would be no one's."
Police Investigation Underway
On July 25, while Nisar was away from home, Faizan allegedly returned and strangled Rizwana in front of her son and daughter. A neighbour alerted Nisar around 11:30am, and he rushed home to find his wife unconscious. She was taken to a hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arrival.
The couple's son Ahada, who is blind, told his father that Faizan had murdered his mother. Doctors later confirmed that Rizwana was most likely strangled to death. Police have launched an urgent manhunt to track down the suspect.
Surendra Nath Tiwari, a local police officer, said: "We suspect that Faizan came to meet Rizwana and tried to force the victim to run away with him, but she refused, leading to the incident."
