Daijiworld Media Network - Moradabad

Moradabad, Jun 3: In a gruesome crime that has shocked Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad district, a 20-year-old woman named Saira was brutally murdered by a stalker who stabbed her 40 times with a screwdriver in a maize field on Saturday.

The accused, Mohammad Rafi, a local chicken meat seller from the same village, was arrested swiftly after an FIR was lodged by the victim’s grieving mother, Shafina. Rafi has since been sent to jail following court proceedings.

According to police, Saira had gone to the nearby forest to cut grass when she called Rafi and asked him to meet her in a maize field just 200 metres from her home. The two got into a heated argument during which Saira reportedly slapped Rafi and told him never to contact her again.

In a fit of rage, Rafi allegedly strangled her with her own scarf until she lost consciousness, then stabbed her repeatedly in the neck, abdomen, and private parts. The post-mortem revealed 40 stab wounds, with excessive bleeding cited as the cause of death.

Inspector-in-charge Kiran Pal confirmed that Rafi confessed to the crime during interrogation. The police recovered the screwdriver used in the attack along with Saira’s phone from Rafi's possession.

Saira’s body, discovered the next morning, had been partially mutilated by wild animals. Nearby, her scarf, slippers, and a sickle—evidence of a desperate attempt to resist—were also found.

Saira, the fifth of six siblings, had already lost her father last year. Senior Superintendent of Police Satpal Antil visited the scene and assured that all efforts are being made to build a watertight case. “We are committed to ensuring justice for Saira,” he said.