Woman cop found ‘murdered’, constable husband key suspect
Officials said Vimlesh Pal had accused Indresh Maurya of rape in 2024. She didn’t pursue the case after they got married
The decomposed body of a 28-year-old woman police constable, who was missing for the last four days, was found near Barabanki’s Bindaura area on Wednesday, police said.
Stating that she could have been murdered, they added that her husband, a police constable himself who was accused of raping her last year, was the key suspect in the case and on the run.
Inspector general (IG) of Ayodhya police range Praveen Kumar said the Vimlesh Pal, who was found dead, was posted at the Subeha police station in Barabanki. He said she was recruited into the police department in 2017 and was living in a rented accommodation in Barabanki.
He said the initial investigation revealed that Vimlesh had close relations with the suspect, Indresh Maurya, who is also posted in Barabanki, before they got married. In 2024, she filed a rape case against him. However, after they got married in court, she decided not to pursue the case further. The police were now investigating whether this incident was connected to her murder.
“Vimlesh Pal was supposed to be on duty at the Mahadeva temple on Monday but didn’t report to work, and has been missing since then,” he stated. “Her body was discovered in the bushes near the Bahraich highway. She was wearing her uniform and nameplate. Her face was burnt…”
The IG said circumstances suggested that Vimlesh’s body was disposed of on the spot after her murder elsewhere.
He further stated that the police have launched an investigation into the murder. He said the murder seemed to have been committed with a motive, and the police were working to uncover the circumstances surrounding the crime.
Barabanki additional superintendent of police (ASP)-North Vikas Chandra Tripathi said the area had been sealed and the body sent for a post-mortem examination. He said the police teams were searching for Indresh Maurya, who was currently at large.
