Engineering Student Found Dead Days Before Wedding in Kolhapur
A 23-year-old engineering student was discovered dead in a gorge, leading to the arrest of her boyfriend amid suspicions of foul play.
Tarrannum Naik's body was found nearly 1,000 feet below a cliff in Kolhapur.
Her boyfriend, Sripad Vadar, was arrested after inconsistencies in his suicide pact claim.
The incident has sparked protests in the local community demanding justice.
In a tragic incident just days before her wedding, 23-year-old engineering student Tarrannum Naik was found dead at Naikwadi waterfalls in Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Her body was discovered approximately 1,000 feet below a cliff after her boyfriend, Sripad Vadar, reported that she had fallen into the gorge. The police were alerted to the situation on Saturday, prompting a recovery operation at the remote site.
According to police reports, Vadar claimed that he and Naik had been in a relationship for over five years and were distressed over her family's decision to arrange her marriage to another man. He alleged that they had planned to commit suicide together, but he backed out at the last moment, leading to her fatal plunge. However, police officials expressed skepticism regarding his account, citing inconsistencies in the couple's chat history.
Investigators found that the messages exchanged between Naik and Vadar contradicted his claims about a suicide pact. Sub-divisional police officer Vivek Patil stated that the chat history indicated Vadar was upset about Naik's impending marriage, raising serious concerns about his narrative. Consequently, the police have charged him under section 103(1) of the BNS for murder, moving beyond the initial wrongful confinement charges.
The Naikwadi waterfalls, located about 50 kilometers from Gargoti, were deserted at the time of the incident, as the falls were dry following the monsoon season. The police have seized mobile phones belonging to both Naik and Vadar for forensic examination and are awaiting the results of an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
Naik's funeral was conducted in her hometown of Patgaon, where she was set to marry on November 12. The shocking nature of her death has ignited protests in Gargoti, with local residents demanding a swift and thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her demise. The community's outcry reflects the deep emotional impact of this tragedy and the call for justice for Tarrannum Naik.
