Teen Killed, Body Found In River: Dishonour Killing In Madhya Pradesh

A case of suspected dishonour killing has emerged from Madhya Pradesh after a teenager was allegedly shot dead inside her home, with her body dumped in a river. The victim was 17-year-old Divya Sikarwar, and the crime was allegedly carried out by her family in Morena district.

The incident came to light after the victim, class 12 student Divya, was reported missing on Saturday. Police investigations revealed that her father, Bharat Sikarwar, allegedly carried the body wrapped in plastic, tied it to a stone, and threw it into the Kunwari river, 30 km away from their home.

Divya belonged to an upper-caste Kshatriya family and was friends with a young man from a backward caste, the sources said. Police suspect her relationship may have provoked the family, raising strong suspicions of dishonour killing.

When questioned, the girl's parents gave contradictory versions. They first claimed she died by electrocution from a fan, later calling it a suicide. But forensic experts, who examined her partially decomposed body, strongly suspect a point-blank gunshot wound to the head.

In a shocking twist, Divya's younger brother and sister, both minors, have been missing since the night of the incident. Police believe this disappearance, coupled with the parents' changing statements and the disposal of the body, strengthens the murder case.

Assistant Superintendent of Police Surendra Pal Singh Dabar confirmed, "Divya's body has been recovered from the Kunwari River and sent for post-mortem. Only after the forensic report will we be able to confirm the cause of death."

According to the family, Divya reportedly managed the household finances and had access to a pistol registered under her uncle's name, which was kept in her cupboard. Whether the same weapon was used in the killing is under investigation.

Bharat Sikarwar, her father, told the media: "I found her injured and rushed her to the hospital, but she died on the way. I was afraid and fainted, so I cremated her in the river."

This is not the first such case in the Chambal-Gwalior belt. In June 2025, an elderly man in Morena allegedly shot dead his granddaughter, Malishkha, for being in love with a boy from another caste. In January 2025, 20-year-old Tanu Gurjar was killed by her father and cousin in Gwalior days before her wedding. In June 2023, a young woman and her lover were killed by her father, and their bodies thrown into the Chambal River.