A bride was allegedly murdered by her husband-to-be just an hour before their wedding ceremony in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, on Saturday evening. The couple argued about the wedding expenses and a saree before the groom, Sajan Baraiya, allegedly hit Soni Himmat Rathod, 22, with an iron pipe.
Deputy Superintendent of Police RR Singhal told reporters, “During the course of the argument, Sajan hit Soni with an iron pipe. He also smashed her head against the wall, killing her on the spot.”
The house was also vandalised by the accused right before he fled the scene, the officer said.
Police arrived at the location to take stock of the scene after receiving a call from a neighbor.
The couple has been in a live-in relationship for several months. The couple then got engaged, and the two were supposed to be married on Saturday.
"The couple was living together despite opposition from their families. They were living together for one to one-and-a-half years. Yesterday was their wedding. The two had an argument over a saree and money," the officer said.
Soni’s body has been sent for a post-mortem, and a complaint has been filed over the murder of the woman. Officials also said that the accused had an argument with the neighbor on Saturday and a separate police complaint was filed over the incident.
