A shocking and tragic crime has come to light in the Masaurhi police station area near Bihar's capital, Patna. A 22-year-old woman named Mundri Devi, who was six months pregnant, was allegedly brutally murdered by her in-laws over unpaid dowry demands. Following the killing, the perpetrators carried her body to the secluded banks of the nearby Dardha river behind their residence and set it on fire in a clandestine attempt to destroy all physical evidence. Alerted by the victim's family, officers from the Masaurhi police station rushed to the scene late at night, extinguished the burning funeral pyre, and retrieved six charred remains of the woman's body. The victim's in-laws locked up their house and fled the village immediately after committing the crime. Police have dispatched the recovered remains for a post-mortem examination and initiated a thorough investigation into the matter.
Incident Background and Family Details
The deceased has been identified as Mundri Devi, the 22-year-old daughter of the late Sitaram Ravidas, originating from Oriyara village within the jurisdiction of the Dhanarua police station. Mundri Devi was married on June 8, 2026, to Satyendra Das (24), son of Yogendra Ravidas, a resident of Dariyapur village under the Masaurhi police station area. Ever since her wedding, she had been living at her marital home in Dariyapur. Her husband, Satyendra Das, works as a migrant laborer in Daman, Gujarat. Shortly after the marriage, Mundri Devi conceived, and she was six months pregnant at the time of the fatal event.
Return From Gujarat and Escalation of Harassment
According to family members, Satyendra Das had returned home to Dariyapur from Daman, Gujarat, on the occasion of the Raksha Bandhan festival. During his visit, he brought Mundri Devi back to her in-laws' home from her parental residence. The victim's brother, Ajay Kumar, stated that when his sister initially arrived at her marital house after Raksha Bandhan, her in-laws treated both of them with considerable warmth, respect, and hospitality. However, this courteous behavior proved short-lived. Soon after, her in-laws shifted their attitude dramatically and began subjecting Mundri Devi to severe mental and physical harassment.
Allegations of Dowry Demand and Midnight Discovery
Ajay Kumar has explicitly accused the in-laws of murdering his sister over an unfulfilled dowry demand. On Tuesday night, Ajay Kumar received a message stating that his sister's medical condition had suddenly deteriorated critically. Panic-stricken by the news of her illness, Ajay Kumar and other family members rushed from Oriyara late at night to reach her marital home in Dariyapur.
Upon arriving at the house in Dariyapur, the family was shocked to find the main entrance door padlocked from the outside with no one present inside. When they questioned neighboring villagers and locals, they learned that Mundri Devi had been killed and that her body was being cremated secretly near the Dardha river behind the house to eliminate murder evidence.
Police Intercept Active Pyre at Dardha River
Upon hearing this horrifying revelation, Ajay Kumar and his relatives sprinted to the banks of the Dardha river behind the property. There, they witnessed Mundri Devi's body burning on a freshly lit pyre in a desolate area. Ajay Kumar noted that the location chosen for burning the body was not an authorized public cremation ground or traditional funeral site. The in-laws had deliberately selected a secluded spot along the riverbank to secretly burn the body and cover up the murder.
The Masaurhi police were immediately alerted about the ongoing cremation. A police unit dispatched to the location quickly put out the flames of the burning pyre. Upon searching the ashes and partially burnt wood, officers carefully secured approximately six burnt body remains. Police seized these six charred fragments and transferred them to a hospital for post-mortem analysis and forensic evaluation.
Murder Allegations and Cover-Up Attempt
The victim's relatives highlighted that Mundri Devi was six months pregnant, yet her in-laws showed no mercy toward her or her unborn child. Ajay Kumar alleged that the mother-in-law, father-in-law Yogendra Ravidas, brother-in-law, and other family members conspired together to murder Mundri Devi. To escape legal accountability and impede police inquiry, they hastily took the body to the riverbank and set it ablaze to destroy all physical clues connecting them to the crime.
The family further alleged that since her wedding, husband Satyendra Das, father-in-law Yogendra Ravidas, her mother-in-law, and brother-in-law had been persistently demanding Rs 4 lakh in cash as dowry. Because her maternal family lacked the financial means to fulfill this heavy Rs 4 lakh demand, Mundri Devi was subjected to continuous cruelty, culminating in her gruesome murder when the money failed to materialize.
Manhunt Launched as Police Await Autopsy Report
Following the crime and the failed cremation attempt, the victim's husband Satyendra Das, father-in-law Yogendra Ravidas, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law locked the residence and fled the area. Police teams raided the residence but found it firmly locked.
Addressing the development, Masaurhi Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Raghav Dayal provided official details on the investigation. SDPO Raghav Dayal stated that six burnt body remains recovered from the burning pyre have been sent for a post-mortem examination. Based on the formal complaint filed by the victim's family, a case of dowry death has been officially registered. He added that the exact cause and precise mechanism of death will only be confirmed once the detailed post-mortem and forensic reports are received. In the meantime, police units are inspecting the crime scene, recording statements from neighbors and local witnesses, and conducting targeted raids at potential hideouts to arrest the absconding suspects.
