After couple found dead in Noida, man's family alleges murder, caste-based threats by woman's kin
Bodies of Sumit, 32, a resident of Trilokpuri in Delhi, and Rekha, 26, of Sector 101 in Noida, were found with gunshot wounds inside a locked car near Sector 107
Family members of the man found dead with his girlfriend inside a parked car in Noida on Saturday alleged that the couple may have been murdered, claiming they faced caste-based threats, even as police said prima facie the case appeared to be a suicide.
The couple allegedly received taunts from the woman's family, and the man's family had received threats, including calls from international numbers warning of police action, they said.
The bodies of Sumit, 32, a resident of Trilokpuri in Delhi, and Rekha, 26, of Sector 101 in Noida, were found with gunshot wounds inside a locked car near Sector 107 earlier in the day. A pistol was recovered from his hand, police said.
"We believe both have been murdered and were victims of casteism," a cousin of Sumit alleged. The couple had been in a relationship for over a decade and their families were aware of it, he said.
"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 told PTI.
Alleging that the couple could have been murdered, he added that the spot where the car was found was only a few hundred metres from the woman's village in Salarpur and described the circumstances as "suspicious".
Police, however, said a pistol was recovered from Sumit's hand and the car was locked from inside, indicating a possible suicide. Senior officers and forensic teams have inspected the scene and a post-mortem examination is awaited, they added.
Officials said all angles, including the family's allegations, are being examined as part of the probe. Further investigation is underway, they said.
