Police say the Hindu woman’s brothers orchestrated the killing, allegedly binding the interfaith couple, attacking them with a spade, and burying their bodies to erase evidence of a relationship they opposed on religious grounds.
BY PC Bureau
January 22, 2026 — In a chilling case of suspected honour killing, a 27-year-old Muslim man and his 22-year-old Hindu partner were allegedly tied up, hacked to death with a spade, and buried in a field by the woman’s brothers, police said on Thursday.
The victims have been identified as Mohd Arman (also known as Armaan or Arman Chaudhary), 27, who had recently returned to his village after working in Saudi Arabia for four years, and Kajal Saini, 22 (her age has been reported as 18 or 19 in some accounts), a student who also worked part-time as a teacher at a private school. Both lived in Umri Sabjipur village under the jurisdiction of the Pakbara (Pakbada) police station.
#BREAKING – Honor killing in #Moradabad (UP) , Kajal and her boyfriend Armaan were murdered. Their bodies were buried in a field.
The girl’s brothers committed this crime after seeing them in a compromising position. They had been in a relationship for two years. The girl was… pic.twitter.com/DEMpjOzeci— Risav Bajpayi (@jurnorisav) January 22, 2026
According to the police, the couple had been in a relationship for nearly two years, which was strongly opposed by Kajal’s family because they belonged to different religious communities. On the night of January 18 (Sunday), Arman reportedly went to Kajal’s house to meet her. Family members allegedly caught the two together, tied their hands and legs, and assaulted them with a spade, causing fatal injuries.
After the killings, the accused allegedly buried the bodies in a secluded field near the Gagan River, behind a temple on the outskirts of the village, in an apparent attempt to conceal the crime.
The couple had been missing for about three days. Arman’s father, Haneef, lodged a missing persons complaint, prompting a police search. During the investigation, officers found that Kajal was also untraceable. Sustained questioning of her family members led to confessions by her brothers, who later took the police to the burial site.
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The bodies were exhumed on Wednesday evening (January 21), and the murder weapon—a spade allegedly used in the attack—was also recovered. A murder case has been registered against Kajal’s three brothers. Two of them, Rinku Saini and Satish Saini, have been arrested, while the third accused is absconding, police said.
Confirming the developments, Senior Superintendent of Police Satpal Antil said, “During the investigation, we found that the woman’s brothers were involved in the killings. After their confession, the bodies were recovered along with the spade used in the crime.”
SP (City) Kumar Ranvijay said the FIR was registered on the basis of a complaint from Arman’s family and that the arrests followed the recovery operation.
Arman’s sister told media outlets that the family was unaware of any relationship. “He had been working in Saudi Arabia for four years and returned home three months ago,” she said.
To prevent any communal tension in the village, authorities deployed a heavy police presence, including personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC). Officials said the situation remains under control, with no incidents reported despite crowds gathering after the exhumation.
The incident once again draws attention to the continuing problem of honour killings in parts of Uttar Pradesh, often linked to interfaith or intercaste relationships. Police said the investigation is ongoing and further arrests are likely.
