Chandigarh, August 22: Chandigarh police recovered the bodies of a 24-year-old man and his 17-year-old girlfriend from a hotel room in Daria, in what officials confirmed was a case of suicide. The couple, identified as Arshad, a factory worker, and his minor partner from Begarazpur village in Muzaffarnagar district, had allegedly consumed pesticide hours after checking in.
According to investigators, the two had eloped from Muzaffarnagar on August 18 after their families objected to their relationship on religious grounds. The girl reportedly left home for school that morning but never returned, prompting her parents to lodge a missing complaint the next day. On August 19, Muzaffarnagar police registered an abduction case against Arshad.
Hotel staff told police the couple checked in around 3 a.m. Thursday. Barely an hour later, they were found unresponsive. “We were alerted around 5 a.m. and rushed the bodies to the mortuary for postmortem,” a Chandigarh police officer said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Muzaffarnagar, Sanjay Kumar, confirmed that a handwritten suicide note was recovered. “The girl’s family had filed an abduction complaint against Arshad on August 19. We have initiated inquest proceedings and informed Muzaffarnagar police about the deaths,” he stated.
Police sources said the note clearly indicated that the decision was voluntary. “The couple wrote that their families should not be held responsible, and that they were taking this step because their wish to marry was denied,” an officer from the Daria police post said.
The couple had reportedly been in a relationship for some time, but the families’ opposition and societal pressure made their union impossible. While they were missing, local Hindu groups had also pressed Muzaffarnagar police to trace them, sources added.
The bodies have since been handed over to their families after autopsy, while Chandigarh police continue further investigation.
The case underscores the continuing social tensions around interfaith relationships and the tragic consequences when young couples feel trapped between personal choice and family pressure.
