Eloped couple found dead in Chandigarh hotel, police confirm suicide

A tragic incident has come to light in Chandigarh, where a 24-year-old man and his 17-year-old girlfriend were found dead in a hotel room on Thursday, days after eloping from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh. Police suspect that the couple ended their lives by consuming poison, most likely a commonly available pesticide (salfas). The deceased have been identified as Arshad, a factory worker, and his minor girlfriend from Begarazpur village in Muzaffarnagar district.

According to officials, the two had run away from home on August 18 after facing family opposition to their relationship, which was objected to on religious grounds. The girl reportedly left home for school that day but never returned. A missing complaint was lodged the following day, August 19, at the Muzaffarnagar police station.

Police sources said the couple checked into a hotel in Daria, Chandigarh, around 3 am on Thursday. Barely an hour later, they were found unresponsive in their room. Hotel staff immediately alerted the Daria police post, which rushed to the spot around 5 am and shifted the bodies to the mortuary for the postmortem examination.

SSP, UP, Sanjay Kumar, confirmed that a suicide note was recovered from the room. “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 said.

Sources added that while the couple was missing, some Hindu activists had also exerted pressure on the Muzaffarnagar police to trace them. The couple had reportedly been in a relationship for some time but faced stiff opposition from their families.

According to the Daria police post, a suicide note was found near their bodies. In the note, the couple stated that they were taking their own lives and that their families should not be held responsible. “As their families refused to marry them, they took this step on their own,” the note read.

“The bodies of the deceased have been handed over to their respective family members after the postmortem examination, and further investigations are underway,” a senior officer from the Chandigarh Police shared.

The tragedy has once again highlighted the social tensions surrounding interfaith relationships and the desperate measures young couples sometimes take when faced with family and societal resistance.