- By Yashashvi Tak
- Mon, 19 Jan 2026 10:56 AM (IST)
- Source:JND
A retired railway employee in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly murdered his live-in partner earlier this month, burned her body inside a metal trunk using coal and firewood, and dumped the ashes into a river to destroy evidence. The case surfaced nearly a week later after a loader driver, sensing something amiss, alerted the police. When officers reached the Sipri Bazaar area late Saturday night, they found a blue metal trunk containing ashes, coal, and charred bone fragments. By then, the accused had fled.
According to NDTV, the accused has been identified as 62-year-old Ram Singh (also referred to as Parihar), who is married to two women and was living with the victim, 32-year-old Preeti. Police said Singh’s first wife lives in Sipri Bazaar, while the second resides in the City Kotwali area of Jhansi. Singh is currently absconding.
Motive And Investigation Details
Police suspect Preeti was killed around January 8, allegedly after she demanded large sums of money from Singh, having already taken several lakhs of rupees. Investigators said Singh initially wrapped the body in a tarpaulin and later burned it inside the trunk. After the body was reduced to ashes, he reportedly filled sacks with the remains and disposed of them in a nearby river, leaving behind some bones and residue in the trunk.
The crime came to light after Singh hired a loader to move the heavy trunk to his second wife’s house. His son from the second marriage, Nitin, and a few others accompanied the consignment. The loader driver, Jaysingh Pal, grew suspicious of the men’s behaviour and the trunk’s contents and called the police control room after unloading it.
"I was hired for Rs 400 to move some luggage. I suspected something was wrong with the trunk, so I refused at first, but eventually brought it. My suspicion grew stronger once we arrived at the home, and I called the police," said the loader driver, according to the NDTV report.
When officers forced the trunk open, they discovered charred human remains.
"The police control room received a tip-off from a loader driver regarding a suspicious trunk. Upon inspection, human skeletal remains and burnt material were found. The alleged remains have been collected by the forensic team for further probe. The accused's second wife, Geeta, informed us that Parihar told her that he was being harassed for money by the woman he was living with. We have recovered evidence from the crime scene and have detained two individuals, including Singh's son. A hunt is on for the main accused," said Superintendent of Police (City) Preeti Singh, according to the NDTV report.
A neighbour, Surbhi, told police that Singh had been collecting firewood for several days and that a strange smell had lingered in the area, which residents initially attributed to burning wood to keep warm.
Jhansi police have registered a case based on a complaint filed by the victim’s former husband. While Singh’s son and another alleged accomplice are in custody, police teams are continuing their search for the main accused.