Barabanki: A 28-year-old female police constable, Vimlesh Pal, was found murdered in Barabanki. Her body, still in uniform, was discovered in bushes along a highway, with her face reportedly burned. She had been missing for four days.
Vimlesh Pal was stationed at Subheha police station in Barabanki. She failed to report for duty at Mahadeva temple on Monday, and subsequent searches by colleagues yielded no results.
Face Burned, Body Dumped; Police Suspect Premeditated Murder
On Wednesday morning, a local villager named Bhanu discovered the body and alerted the police. Officers identified her from the nameplate on her uniform. IG Praveen Kumar, who arrived at the scene, stated that the murder appears to have been premeditated.
The body was found approximately 200 meters off the Lucknow-Bahraich Highway near Bindaura village. A mobile phone was found nearby, but its ownership is unconfirmed.
Police suspect the killer attempted to burn her face, though the motive remains unclear, especially given that her uniform and nameplate were left intact. While the lower part of her clothing was disheveled, no signs of rape have been confirmed.
The body appeared to be one or two days old and was being scavenged by crows. Forensic teams believe the murder occurred elsewhere, with the body later dumped and partially burned at the discovery site, evidenced by scorched grass nearby.
Marital Dispute and Previous FIR Add New Dimensions
Vimlesh Pal, who joined the police force in 2017, was one of four daughters of Ram Bharat Pal from Bhambhot village in Sultanpur. Her husband, police constable Indresh Maurya, was transferred to Hardoi a year ago, and she lived alone in a rented room near Subheha police station. Her family was reportedly unaware of her marriage to Indresh.
IG Praveen Kumar revealed that Vimlesh had previously filed an FIR against Indresh Maurya for rape in 2024, but later, in her Section 164 statement before a magistrate, she stated they had a court marriage and she no longer wished for action.
Police Launch Probe; Family Demands Justice Amid Social Outrage
Vimlesh's sister, Pooja Pal, alleges that her sister was raped and killed, explicitly blaming Indresh Maurya. She stated that Indresh repeatedly threatened Vimlesh, and they lived separately. Pooja mentioned that their last conversation was on July 27, when Vimlesh sounded very scared. The family, with no other earning member since their father's passing, is now seeking justice.
