An online relationship that began with promises of love and companionship ended in a gruesome tragedy when a 25-year-old truck driver allegedly killed his 52-year-old partner after an argument over marriage and money.
The victim, identified as Rani Devi from Farrukhabad, was married to a farmer and was a mother of four. Around 18 months ago, she connected with the accused, Arun Rajput, on social media. Using filters to appear much younger, she concealed her true age from him, and what started as casual online chats soon grew into a physical relationship, reported Time of India.
Over time, Arun discovered her actual age but continued the affair. According to police, during this period he also managed to extract more than Rs 1.5 lakh from her.
Matters came to a breaking point on August 10, when Rani pressed him either to marry her or return the money. Arun allegedly invited her to a secluded spot in Mainpuri, where an argument broke out. In a fit of rage, he is said to have strangled her with her own scarf before abandoning the body and fleeing. The body was recovered the next day.
SP (City) Arun Kumar said, “During interrogation, the accused confessed. He admitted that the pressure to marry her, along with demands for money, had driven him to commit the crime. The postmortem confirmed death by strangulation. A case has been registered under BNS Section 103 (murder).”
Since Rani’s identity was not immediately known, police circulated her photograph across nearby districts. On August 30, a missing-person report filed in Farrukhabad matched the body, and her family later confirmed her identity.
This shocking case has once again raised questions about the risks of online relationships, where reality often differs from what is projected on screens. What began as a search for love ultimately ended in deception, exploitation, and violence.