In a tragic incident, the body of a female student Priya Mishra from Saifai Medical University in Uttar Pradesh’s (UP) Etawah, was discovered near Sonai bridge in the Vaidpura area, raising suspicions of rape. Priya, a first-year ANM (Auxiliary Nurse and Midwife) student from the 2023 batch and a resident of Kudarkot in Auraiya district, was found clad in college attire with signs of a bullet wound on her neck.
The incident occurred on the Etawah-Mainpuri road near the Sengur River bridge in Sonai village, approximately eight kilometres from the university. Passersby alerted the police upon finding the body, which was then taken for post-mortem.
Etawah SSP Sanjay Kumar Verma stated that while it is uncertain whether a rape occurred, it appears the body was dumped after the incident. Priya had reportedly left in the afternoon after lending her mobile phone to a friend and was found later in the evening on the roadside.
Police have arrested three men in connection with the murder, including the main accused, 30-year-old Mahendra Batham, who hails from the same village. CCTV footage showed the victim willingly getting into a car with a man on Thursday (14 March) afternoon, leading to her tragic demise. Batham, who is married, is alleged to have harassed the victim for the past four years, according to her family.
The police have recovered the car used in the incident along with the murder weapon. The Etawah police have lodged a case under IPC Section 302 (murder) against Batham and his family and stated that they will take strict action against the accused under the National Security Act.
