Bettiah: Police on Wednesday night recovered the half-burnt body of a 25-year-old married woman from a cremation ground at Rulahi village under Majhaulia police station area in West Champaran district, thwarting an alleged attempt to destroy evidence in a suspected dowry death case.According to police, the deceased was identified as Pushpa Devi, wife of Shyam Yadav and a resident of the same village. The body was sent to Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Bettiah, for post-mortem.The victim’s father, Ishwar Yadav, a resident of Chaumukha village under Yogapatti police station, alleged that his daughter was murdered over dowry demands after his inability to provide money for the purchase of a buffalo.According to the complaint, Pushpa had been married to Shyam Yadav around two-and-a-half years ago. Since then, her in-laws allegedly subjected her to continuous physical and mental harassment over dowry.Her maternal cousin, Chandan Kumar Yadav, claimed that Pushpa was pregnant at the time of her death. “She was strangled as the dowry demand was not fulfilled. The family then attempted to cremate her body without informing her parental family,” he alleged.Family members rushed to the spot after being alerted by neighbours and informed the police. By the time police arrived, the in-laws had allegedly fled.Majhaulia SHO Amar Kumar said, “The matter is being investigated. The body has been sent for post-mortem, and raids are underway to arrest the absconding accused. Further action will be taken based on the postmortem report and other evidence.”
