Seen here, Abhishek Seth and Bhawna Yadav.
A 21-year-old woman who eloped with a friend from a different caste was allegedly killed by her parents in Delhi.
Bhawna Yadav, a final year student of Sanskrit Honours at Venkateswara College, was allegedly strangled by her property dealer father Jagmohan Yadav and mother Savitri on Saturday night at their house in Kakrola in South West Delhi.
"They took her body to Alwar, Rajasthan, where they burnt it at their ancestral village. We have arrested the parents and further investigations are under way," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (South-West) Suman Goyal.
The police said the couple did not like their daughter's relationship with Abhishek Seth, 24, a government official.
Bhawna met Abhishek at Venkateswara College in 2012 through a common friend. Knowing that their parents did not approve of their relationship, the couple went to a temple, an Arya Samaj Mandir, and got married on November 12.
Abhishek reportedly took Bhawna to his home in Uttam Nagar in West Delhi. His parents accepted their marriage, the police said.
According to Abhishek, Bhawna's parents came to their home the same night and took their daughter away, saying they would like to organize a grand wedding for them.
"However, they later told Bhawna that they would not accept the marriage and would get her married to someone else. Bhawna came back to my place on November 14. Her parents again came with some neighbours and assured that they would do a 'chunni ceremony' (engagement ceremony) at their home and send her back on Sunday," said Abhishek.
On Saturday night, Abhishek received a call from Bhawna's uncle Lakhan, who allegedly threatened to kill both of them.
"Minutes later, I got a call from Bhawna that her uncle was drunk and he should ignore him. The next morning, repeated calls on Bhawna and her parent's numbers went unanswered. Sometime later, I got a call from her cousin Sachin who told me that Bhawna was cremated in Alwar. Then I went to the police," said Abhishek in his police complaint. An FIR or First Information Report has been filed.
Bhawna's neighbour Mahinder told the police that her parents claimed she had been bitten by a snake and he drove them to their ancestral place in Alwar in his car for some 'tantrik rituals' to cure her.
"Mahinder told us that Bhawna appeared to be dead when she was in his car," the police officer said.
The police then arrested Bhawna's parents.
"As the body has been disposed of, we are still trying to establish how she was killed. It has emerged that she was strangled. Her parents during interrogation told us that their daughter had shamed them before their community and that is why they killed her," the official added.