UPSC Aspirant Shot Dead Weeks After Inter-Caste Marriage: Hardoi Police Probe ‘Honour Killing’ Angle

Hardoi (U.P.): The death of 24-year-old UPSC aspirant Manvi Mishra has triggered outrage after she was found with a gunshot wound at her family home.

Police first suspected suicide as a country-made pistol lay near the body, but inconsistencies surfaced: the wound was on the left side of her head while the firearm rested in her right hand.

Investigators learnt that Manvi had married Abhinav Katihar—an inter-caste union—on 7 January 2025, securing court registration and even High Court-ordered police protection against family threats. Her parents later persuaded her to return, promising a “proper Hindu wedding” post her brother’s marriage.

On 31 August, Abhinav’s calls went unanswered; hours later, police informed him of her death.

Detectives allege that during a confrontation, Manvi’s brother Ashutosh alias Veeru Mishra shot her, with help from their mother in staging it as suicide. Both have been arrested, and Veeru has confessed, police claim.

The case has reignited debate on honour-based violence in Uttar Pradesh, highlighting that even court protection cannot always shield young women from family backlash over self-chosen marriages.