Indian Hospital Owner, Nephew Arrested for Abduction, Murder After Harassment Complaint

A private hospital owner and his nephew are in custody following the abduction and murder of a 21-year-old woman in Unnao, India. The victim had recently filed a sexual harassment complaint against the hospital owner, Devkant Uttam, just two days before she went missing.

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She came in contact with Uttam while undergoing treatment at his hospital.

Police identified the accused as Uttam, owner of Uttam Hospital, and his nephew Vivek Patel, an ambulance driver. The woman, a BA student also training to be a police sub-inspector, had reportedly met Uttam while receiving treatment at his hospital. She filed the harassment complaint on May 19, and her mother reported her abduction on May 24 after Patel allegedly asked her to meet on May 21 and she never returned.

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Patel had allegedly texted the victim on May 21 asking to meet.

Investigators detained Patel, who was found with a gunshot wound, possibly self-inflicted to mislead police. During interrogation, Patel confessed that he and Uttam strangled the woman on May 21. They then transported her body in an SUV to Bulandshahr, nearly 450km away, and dumped it by the roadside to hide the crime.

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We had preserved the nose ring and DNA samples. The family identified the nose ring, and DNA matching is now underway.

The body, found on May 25, was highly decomposed and cremated as unclaimed. However, Bulandshahr police had preserved evidence, including a nose ring, clothes, and DNA samples. The victim's family identified the nose ring, leading to DNA matching, which is now underway. Uttam surrendered to police on Wednesday, and both men are being interrogated.

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He confessed that he and Uttam strangled the woman on May 21 and later carried her body in a Mahindra Scorpio (SUV) to Jahangirabad in Bulandshahr, where they dumped it by the roadside.