The Uttar Pradesh police announced on Wednesday that they had solved the mystery of an unidentified woman’s murder, whose body was found on August 11. The victim has now been identified as Rani, a 52-year-old woman from Farrukhabad district.

According to the police, Rani was killed by her 26-year-old lover, Arun Rajput, who lived in Mainpuri. Investigators said Arun strangled Rani with a scarf after an argument. He was arrested once police traced his phone call records and social media chats with the victim. Officers also recovered two mobile phones from him that contained proof of their relationship.

The police explained how the two met. About one and a half years ago, Rani and Arun came into contact through Instagram. Rani used filters to hide her real age, making Arun believe she was younger. Their online friendship soon turned into a relationship, and they began meeting in hotels in Farrukhabad. During this time, Rani gave Arun about ₹1.5 lakh.

However, problems started when Rani began asking him to marry her and also demanded that he return her money. On August 10, Arun called her to Mainpuri. When she once again insisted on marriage and repayment, Arun lost his temper. In anger, he strangled her with a scarf and fled the spot, leaving her body behind.

At first, the police could not identify the woman and circulated her photographs in nearby districts. Later, her details matched a missing person complaint filed in Farrukhabad, confirming that the body was Rani’s. During questioning, Arun confessed to the crime. 

He told the police he was scared that Rani would approach his family or file a complaint against him if he refused to marry her. Police have now sent him to jail and said that the recovered phones contain photos and chats between the two. City police chief Arun Kumar Singh confirmed the arrest and said the case has been solved with strong evidence.