In a swift operation, Uttar Pradesh police on Saturday arrested two men and rescued a 21-year-old Dalit woman, two days after her mother was brutally murdered and she was allegedly abducted in Kapsarh village of Meerut district. The accused were intercepted in Haridwar, bringing a tense search to a close.
Chilling Details of the Crime Emerge
The incident, which has sent shockwaves through the region, occurred on the morning of Thursday, January 8, 2026. According to police and family accounts, Sunita Jatav (50) and her daughter Ruby (21) were on their way to work in sugarcane fields outside their village when they were allegedly stopped by the accused, identified as Paras Som and Sunil Kumar.
"Ruby’s mother told her to go ahead while she spoke to them," alleged Pavitra, a relative of the victims. The First Information Report (FIR) states that Paras Som, seemingly angered at being ignored, verbally abused Sunita, snatched the sickle she was carrying, and attacked her with it. He and his accomplice, Sunil Kumar, then allegedly abducted Ruby and fled the scene. Both accused belong to the Rajput (Thakur) community.
Massive Police Operation Leads to Arrests
Addressing the media after the rescue, Meerut Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vipin Tada detailed the investigation. "Considering the gravity of the case, over 10 teams were assigned to ensure that the accused were arrested and the woman was rescued," SSP Tada stated. The breakthrough came on Saturday when police teams from Meerut and Saharanpur coordinated to apprehend the two accused from Haridwar. Ruby was found with them and safely rescued.
The police have registered a case under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS), including Section 106(1) for murder, Section 140(1) for kidnapping with intent to murder, Section 126(2) for wrongful restraint, and Section 352 for intentional insult. Charges under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, Section 3(2)(v), have also been invoked.
Village Under Siege, Family in Anguish
In the aftermath of the crime, Kapsarh village was placed under heavy security to prevent any caste-based flare-ups. Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel blocked all entry points, restricting access. Relatives of the Jatav family, denied entry, joined protesters from the Azad Samaj Party outside the village on Saturday.
Inside the village, the grieving family awaited news. Speaking to The Indian Express before the rescue was announced, Ruby's father, Satendra, was distraught. "My daughter is beautiful…she is tall, like her brothers, and simple… I’ve cried my eyes out but my daughter hasn’t returned," he said.
The family revealed that Ruby was engaged and set to be married in April 2026. They maintained that Paras had neither targeted nor harassed Ruby before this shocking incident. "We never went to their house. We never worked in their fields. We never even spoke to them… I don’t know what happened to him that day," said Kiran, Ruby's sister-in-law. She added that while tensions existed, such a direct attack on women was unprecedented in the village.
Officials have emphasized a sensitive approach to the investigation. Udit Narayan, Deputy Collector of Meerut, noted, "Police are investigating the matter in a sensitive manner… We have to keep the safety of the girl as our top priority." He also mentioned that police were looking into unverified claims of a possible prior relationship between Ruby and one of the accused, stating that this could only be confirmed after thorough questioning.
With the accused in custody and the victim rescued, the focus now shifts to the judicial process, while the village of Kapsarh remains under a vigilant security blanket.
