On Valentine’s Day, a man and woman were found dead inside a car in Noida, in what police say appears to be a case of shooting followed by suicide. Officers recovered a pistol and cartridges from the vehicle.
The incident took place under the jurisdiction of Sector 39 police station after residents reported hearing gunshots. When police arrived, they discovered the couple unresponsive inside the locked car. The vehicle has been seized for forensic examination.
The victims were identified as Rekha, 26, from Sector 58 in Noida, and Sumit, 32, from Trilokpuri in Delhi. While initial investigations suggest the man shot his girlfriend and then himself, his family has alleged that the two may have been murdered, said reports.
Police said that both victims had been missing from their homes since the previous day, with missing person reports already filed. The two had reportedly been in a relationship for a long time, and this was known to their families.
Officials said that the car was locked from the inside and a pistol was found in Sumit’s hand.
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Forensic teams examined the scene and collected evidence, while the bodies have been sent for post-mortem.
WhatsApp message
According to reports, Sumit left a WhatsApp message mentioning his long relationship with Rekha and explaining his decision to die by suicide. In the message, he alleged that Rekha had promised to marry him but was preparing to marry someone else, which he described as betrayal.
The message read: “I, Sumit, is going to commit suicide. Rekha is responsible for this because she was in a relationship with me for 15 years and promised me she would marry me, and now she is going to marry someone else. That is why I am committing suicide because Rekha has betrayed me.”
There were no CCTV cameras in the immediate vicinity where the car was found, officials told reporters. Teams are now scanning footage from nearby routes to determine when the two reached the spot.
Family allege murder
Meanwhile, Sumit’s family has disputed the police’s initial findings, claiming the couple may have been murdered.
They alleged that Rekha’s family had taunted the couple over caste and said they had received threatening calls, including from international numbers warning of police action, according to PTI.
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Sumit’s relative suggested that caste-based issues may have played a role and insisted there had been no pressure from their side regarding the relationship.
‘Victims of casteism’
“We believe both have been murdered and were victims of casteism,” Sumit’s cousin told PTI. He added that the couple had been together for more than a decade and both families were aware of it.
“Sumit is my younger brother. He and the girl had been together for 12-15 years and she attended our family functions. There was never any pressure from our side,” the relative added.
Meanwhile, the man’s elder brother told Hindustan Times“My brother used to pick up and drop the woman from office to home for the past several years. On Friday, around 5 pm, he left home to pick her up. Minutes later, my wife received a WhatsApp message from an ISD number, which triggered panic in our home.”
Sumit operated a water plant business and lived with his family in Trilokpuri, Delhi. While Rekha, a resident of Sector 101 in Noida and worked at a private company.
Rekha’s father says
Rekha’s father told HT that about a year ago, Sumit had approached the family with a marriage proposal.
“About a year ago, the man approached us with a marriage proposal but we refused. After that, they both maintained distance. We were unaware that they were in contact,” he said.
Her father also told the media that on that ill-fated day around 7pm, their daughter had called her mother to inform her that she was returning home. But when she did not reach home after two to three hours, they approached the police.
(Suicides can be prevented. For help please call Suicide Prevention Helplines: Neha Suicide Prevention Centre – 044-24640050; Aasara helpline for suicide prevention, emotional support & trauma help — +91-9820466726; Kiran, Mental health rehabilitation — 1800-599-0019, Disha 0471- 2552056, Maithri 0484 2540530, and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.)
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