Delhi man learns teen daughter is pregnant, drowns her in River Chambal

Delhi Police say that the man lured his pregnant daughter to Agra on the pretext of medical treatment before drowning her in the Chambal river in a suspected honour killing. Search teams are yet to recover the body as rain and the rugged ravines hamper rescue efforts.

In Short

• He allegedly filed a missing complaint in Delhi after returning alone
• Investigators said mobile data and technical evidence helped trace the location
• Police took the accused and his son-in-law to Agra on remand

A suspected honour killing has come to light in Uttar Pradesh's Agra, where a Delhi-based man confessed to police that he drowned his unmarried daughter in the Chambal river after taking her there on the pretext of getting medical treatment. Police sources said the accused, identified as Lakhpat from South Delhi's Tigri area, admitted to killing his daughter in Agra's Basauni area after learning that she was pregnant.

According to police sources, Lakhpat returned to Delhi after the alleged killing and lodged a missing person's complaint at the Tigri police station, claiming that his daughter had disappeared. The case began to unravel when Delhi Police grew suspicious of the family's version during the investigation. During sustained questioning, Lakhpat confessed to killing his daughter.

Police said the investigation found that on July 29, Lakhpat took his daughter from Delhi to Basauni in Agra, telling her she was being taken for medical treatment. Police allege that he then drowned her in the Chambal river. Police sources said the woman was 18, unmarried and pregnant, which had angered her family.

During questioning, Lakhpat told police that he committed the crime with the help of his son-in-law. Following the confession, Delhi Police brought both men to Agra. Lakhpat was taken on remand to the crime scene, where he pointed out the place where the incident is said to have taken place.

A search operation was launched in the Chambal river to recover the woman's body, but rescuers have so far not succeeded. The search has been hampered by continuous rainfall, with the alleged spot located deep inside the Chambal ravines. Police teams have to walk nearly five kilometres to reach the river, as there is no motorable road to the site and even two-wheelers cannot get through because of the rain.

Personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary have joined the search along with divers. Delhi Police said the location was identified through mobile phone data and other technical evidence. The investigation is continuing.

The case surfaced less than 24 hours after another alleged honour killing was reported in Agra. When contacted, Agra East Deputy Commissioner of Police Abhishek Agarwal declined to comment, saying the FIR had been registered in Delhi and that official information would be shared by Delhi Police. He also said any comment at this stage could affect the investigation.

Local sources also claimed that the accused had recorded a video of the incident and that Delhi Police recovered the footage from his mobile phone. However, this claim, as well as the victim's exact age, could not be independently confirmed in Agra and is awaiting official confirmation from Delhi Police. As of now, the body has not been recovered and the investigation remains under way.

- Ends
Inputs from Arvind Sharma