MUMBAI: She was young, newly married and excited about meeting her mother during the Ganpati holidays in her village near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh for the first time since she had eloped. After all, she had special news to share: she was expecting.

But 21-year-old Minakshi Chaurasia had no idea how this plan would unleash the demon in her father. Raj Kumar Chaurasia, 55, was arrested on Monday for killing his daughter because she had married a man from the same village, a practice frowned upon in the community, against his wishes.

Minakshi, married for four months to Brijesh Chaurasia, 26, was found stabbed on Saturday in a dark, deserted part of LBS Marg in

(TOI reported the murder on Monday). The police learned of her father’s opposition to the marriage when they grilled her husband, who said she had stepped out to meet her father.

When they questioned Raj, who stayed in Matunga, he denied meeting her. But his phone location gave him away.

‘Killer’ dad had warned couple from same UP village before they eloped

During sustained interrogation, Raj broke down and confessed to killing his daughter,” said a Ghatkopar police officer. After Minakshi told him about the plan to visit their village, he feared a backlash from the villagers because of the marriage and also the fact that though she had eloped in February, she only got married in April. He tried to dissuade her, but when she was adamant on the visit, he decided to put an end to his humiliation, said the cop.

On Monday, Brijesh said: “I am still in a state of shock that a father can kill his daughter. Initially, I didn’t believe it but now the investigation has cleared my doubts.”

Around 8pm on Saturday, he met her close to her house, hacked her in the neck several times and fled. But the area was dark, and it was only next morning when an autorickshaw driver alerted the Ghatkopar police about a woman’s body lying in a pool of blood.

Some locals recognised her and the police soon came knocking to Brijesh’s door. Brijesh, who runs a paan stall at Narayan Nagar, broke down. He later explained the same village story and Raj’s opposition to their marriage, said Deep Bane, assistant police inspector of Ghatkopar police.

Brijesh said it has been a long tradition that nobody marries within their village. So when he wanted to marry Minakshi, who she had been courting for four years, Raj had warned them both. “In February, Minakshi ran away with Brijesh and got married. They were staying in Narayan Nagar in Ghatkopar while Minakshi’s father Raj used to stay in the Labour camp area in Matunga. Raj initially did not accept their marriage but recently had been coming to meet Minakshi,” said inspector Vilas Datir. DCP Akhilesh Singh said Minakshi was four months pregnant. Minakshi had broken two engagements before eloping with Brijesh.

Recently, Minakshi told Raj she and Brijesh had decided to go to their village during the Ganpati festival in September and meet her mother, who stays in the village. Raj objected, saying the villagers would frown upon him. “Raj tried hard to stop her from going to the village, but Minakshi was firm. On Saturday, under the pretext of giving some money, he called her to an isolated spot at LBS Marg, a stone’s throw from her house, and hacked her on neck several times before fleeing,” said a police officer.