Pregnant Dhandbad Teen Beheaded. 'Husband', 'Father-In-Law' Arrested

The police have arrested four individuals, including a teenage girl's husband and father-in-law, after her headless body was discovered in Jharkhand's Dhanbad district. The severed head of the victim, who was three months pregnant, was recovered wrapped in plastic roughly 100 metres away from her body.  

The incident occurred in the desolate forest area of Kherbadia in Dhanbad's Baliapur town. Locals alerted the police after spotting a blood-soaked torso in the bushes. During the search, the victim's head was recovered inside a plastic sack beneath a nearby tree, located near a field about 100 metres away from the torso. The victim has been identified as 17-year-old Poonam Kumari.

Rumours of a human sacrifice circulated locally after incense sticks and ritual items were found at the scene. However, the police clarified that it would be premature to draw conclusions before the investigation is complete.

According to Poonam's family, she had been sent from her hometown in Giridih district to stay with relatives in Dhanbad's Tundi area for her studies. There, she met Krish Ravani. The two fell in love, ran away, and got "married" against their families' wishes, eventually moving into a rented house in Baliapur. 

Poonam, who was three months pregnant, had been missing since Wednesday. On Thursday, her father filed a written complaint at the Baliapur police station. Following the discovery of the body on Friday morning, a forensic team and a dog squad were dispatched from Ranchi.

Tracking the scent from a slipper left at the crime scene, the dog squad led investigators to Krish's house four kilometres away, where police uncovered critical evidence.

Poonam's family alleged that Krish had previously been jailed over their relationship and that a village panchayat had been convened to address the matter. Upon his release, Krish took Poonam away again, though her father remained opposed to the union. Plans were underway to convene both families at the police station for a settlement prior to the murder.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Ritvik Srivastava said that a forensic team has collected blood samples and fingerprints from the crime scene. The police have arrested four individuals, including the main accused Krish's father, Jayram Ravani, and his aunt, Alomani Devi.

According to Srivastava, the crime was orchestrated by Krish's father with the help of six accomplices. Police said that Jayram was unhappy with his son's love marriage, as he considered the girl's family to be of negligible social standing compared to his own. 

Krish had previously gone to jail because of the girl, causing the family significant social embarrassment. Driven by this, he executed the crime according to a plan. However, a slipper belonging to the aunt was left behind at the scene, effectively unravelling the entire case.

Poonam's body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. The police have initiated interrogation of all the arrested accused and are preparing to file a charge sheet soon.