Pregnant woman tortured, killed in Chhattisgarh, husband on the run

After the incident, the accused allegedly tied the woman's body to the back of a motorcycle and took her to the Medical College Hospital in Ambikapur, claiming she had died in an accident. Doctors declared her dead on arrival, after which the accused fled from the hospital premises.

In Short

• Heerabai, 23, was allegedly attacked inside her home in Bhithikala
• Doctors declared her dead on arrival at Ambikapur Medical College Hospital
• Postmortem found severe head injuries and at least 18 major wounds

A shocking case of alleged domestic violence and murder has emerged from Chhattisgarh’s Surguja district, where a 23-year-old pregnant woman was allegedly tortured and killed by her husband in a village near Ambikapur.

The victim, identified as Heerabai, a resident of Sakariya village in Lakhanpur, was allegedly attacked by her husband Pradeep Agaria on May 14 in Bhithikala village. According to police and family members, the accused brutally assaulted her before killing her inside their home.

After the incident, the accused allegedly tied the woman’s body to the back of a motorcycle and took her to the Medical College Hospital in Ambikapur, claiming she had died in an accident. Doctors declared her dead on arrival, after which the accused fled from the hospital premises.

According to Station House Officer CP Tiwari, the accused initially attempted to portray the incident as an accident. However, the postmortem and forensic examination reportedly revealed signs of severe brutality.

Doctors conducting the autopsy on May 15 said the woman was around three months pregnant at the time of her death. The forensic team allegedly discovered a nearly 27-centimetre-long iron file inserted into her private parts. The postmortem report also found multiple serious injuries across her body, including severe head wounds caused by repeated blows from a heavy wooden stick, which fractured her skull.

Medical experts stated that there were at least 18 major injury marks on the victim’s body. Based on the injuries around the thighs and abdomen, doctors suspect the object may have been forcefully pushed inside, leading to fatal internal injuries and the death of the unborn child.

Speaking about the findings, the head of the forensic department, Dr. Santu Bag, said, “During the postmortem, we found several serious external and internal injuries. A 10-inch iron rod-like object was recovered from the victim’s private parts and seized for investigation.”

Family members alleged that Pradeep Agaria had a history of violent behaviour and frequently assaulted his wife. They claimed he had previously attacked her with a sharp weapon and several complaints had been raised in the village regarding his conduct.

The couple had married for love and had four young children together. Their eldest child is around four years old, another is three, while the younger twins are said to be around one-and-a-half years old. Heerabai was reportedly pregnant for the fifth time.

Relatives also claimed that all four children were present inside the house during the attack and cried out for help, but no one from the neighbourhood intervened. While taking the victim to the hospital, the children reportedly informed locals that their mother had been assaulted, following which the woman’s family rushed to the medical college hospital.

Police said the accused remains absconding and a search operation is underway to trace and arrest him.

- Ends
With inputs from Sumit Singh