TNR News Network
Una:
A 24-year-old woman was found m*urdered and partially b*urnt just a day before her wedding in Himachal Pradesh’s Una district. The charred body of the bride-to-be, identified as Anshika from Vairia village in Bangana, was discovered on Tuesday (September 23, 2025) under a culvert around 500 metres from her home.
The incident has sent shockwaves across the region, prompting the police to register a case of m*urder following a formal complaint filed by the victim’s mother, Surendra Devi.
Bride had secretly married soldier earlier, was pregnant
The victim’s mother claimed that Anshika had earlier entered into a court marriage with Pravesh Kumar, a soldier from Bhindla village, nearly four to five months ago without informing the family. It was only after the recent d*eath of Anshika’s father that the mother came to know about the secret marriage. Anshika also revealed that she was four months pregnant.
To formally accept the union, both families had agreed to conduct a traditional wedding ceremony, which was scheduled for September 24, with a community feast planned. Pravesh had reportedly taken leave from his posting to attend the wedding and take Anshika home.
Last seen the night before, body found next day
On the night of September 22, Anshika and her mother were busy packing wedding gifts and clothes. Around 11.30 PM, she spoke with Pravesh on the phone, after which she went to sleep in a separate room. When the family checked her room the next morning, Anshika was missing and her phone was also not found.
Initially assuming she might have left early to meet Pravesh in Una, the family did not raise an alarm immediately. However, later that evening, a forest guard discovered a partially burnt female body under a roadside culvert in the nearby Manjhad area and informed the police. The body was later identified as Anshika’s.
In her complaint, Surendra Devi accused Pravesh and his uncle Sanjeev Kumar, a retired soldier, of being involved in her daughter’s murder. She alleged that Sanjeev Kumar had earlier expressed strong opposition to the marriage and had even threatened to kill Anshika over the wedding plans.
Surendra Devi stated that Anshika had become distant in the last few days, opting to sleep separately and had appeared disturbed. She alleged that her daughter may have been lured out of the house and murdered.
Police investigation and 3 unanswered questions
The Una police have launched an investigation into the suspected murder. Forensic teams visited the crime scene and the body has been sent for a post-mortem examination. Key questions remain unanswered, including:
- Why did Anshika leave the house late at night?
- Who did she meet and how was she killed?
- Who set the body on fire and what was the motive?
Authorities are also probing why Pravesh, who was reportedly on leave for the wedding, left the area a day before the scheduled ceremony.
Superintendent of Police Rakesh Singh said, “We are treating this as a case of m*urder and are questioning all relevant individuals. No arrests have been made yet, but investigations are progressing.”
