Mainpuri: In a shocking crime, a 26-year-old man from Uttar Pradesh allegedly strangled his 52-year-old Instagram friend to death after she pressured him to marry her and return a loan of ₹1.5 lakh. Police said the accused, identified as Arun Rajput, killed the woman using her dupatta when she confronted him during a meeting in Mainpuri district.
Body found near village
Mainpuri Superintendent of Police Arun Kumar Singh said an unidentified body was found near Karpari village on August 11. Strangulation marks on her neck indicated murder, later confirmed in the post-mortem. After checking missing complaints across police stations, officers identified the deceased as a resident of Farrukhabad and a mother of four children.
Instagram friendship turned tragic
Investigations revealed that Rajput and the woman had been friends on Instagram for about 18 months. They exchanged phone numbers two months ago and started speaking regularly, meeting in person several times. On August 11, the woman travelled to Mainpuri to meet Rajput.
During interrogation, Rajput admitted that she had been insisting on marriage and pressing him to return the loan of ₹1.5 lakh she had given him. Angered by the repeated pressure, Rajput confessed to strangling her with her own dupatta.
Accused cites age and deception
According to police, the accused also claimed that the woman had used an Instagram filter that made her look younger. When he met her, he discovered her actual age and that she was married with children. These factors, combined with her demands, allegedly made him unwilling to marry her.
Evidence recovered, accused arrested
Police said Rajput took the victim’s mobile phone after the crime, discarding the SIM card. The phone and exchanged messages have since been recovered. Rajput has been arrested and booked for murder under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Superintendent Singh said the case highlights the risks of online relationships when built on deception and financial entanglements.