Honour killing in Lucknow: Father, aunt, uncle held after teen girl's body found in 6 pieces on train
Synopsis
A 16-year-old girl's body, cut into six pieces and stuffed in a box, was found on a train at Lucknow's Gomti Nagar station — and police say her own father and two relatives killed her over a disapproved relationship. Three have been arrested from Kushinagar; the victim's head is still missing.
Key Takeaways
The dismembered body of 16-year-old Shabba was found in a box inside the S1 coach of the Chhapra-Gomti Nagar Express on 17 May 2025 .
The body had been cut into six pieces ; the victim's head remains missing.
Three family members arrested: father Viggan Ansari (44) , aunt Noorjahan (55) , and uncle Mojibulla Ansari (65) — all from Kushinagar district .
Two 'banka' bladed weapons, allegedly used in the killing, were recovered from the accused.
Police suspect the killing was motivated by the victim's alleged romantic relationship, according to preliminary investigation.
Search operations for the missing head are ongoing in Kushinagar and along the Bihar border.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) in Lucknow have arrested three family members — including the father of a 16-year-old girl — in a suspected honour killing case after the teenager's dismembered body was discovered stuffed inside a box on the Chhapra-Gomti Nagar Express on 17 May 2025. The body had been cut into six pieces; the victim's head remains missing.
How the Body Was Discovered
Railway staff at Gomti Nagar Railway Station spotted an unclaimed box beneath a seat in the S1 sleeper coach of the train. When a GRP team opened the box, they found the mutilated remains of a teenage girl. The discovery triggered an immediate investigation spanning multiple railway stations across Uttar Pradesh.
Key Arrests and Evidence
Police identified and arrested three accused from Kushinagar district following an extensive probe. The arrested individuals are the victim's father, Viggan Ansari (44), her aunt Noorjahan (55), and her uncle Mojibulla Ansari (65). Investigators recovered two 'banka' weapons — sharp bladed implements — from the accused, which police allege were used in the murder and dismemberment. CCTV footage from Tamkuhi Railway Station in Kushinagar district provided the critical leads that enabled investigators to trace the suspects.
What Police Say Happened
SP Railway Rohit Mishra confirmed the arrests and the recovery of the weapons. According to police officials, preliminary investigation suggests the victim — identified as Shabba — was allegedly involved in a romantic relationship that reportedly angered her family. Police suspect the father, along with his sister and brother-in-law, killed the girl and dismembered her body in an attempt to conceal the crime and mislead investigators. All findings remain subject to ongoing investigation and have been attributed to police sources.
Search for Missing Head Continues
Search operations are currently underway in Kushinagar district and in areas bordering Bihar to recover the victim's missing head. The three accused are being interrogated, and further forensic and investigative work is in progress. This case adds to a troubling pattern of reported honour killings in Uttar Pradesh, where family members have previously faced prosecution for targeting young women over disapproved relationships.
Point of View
Yet the crime persists, often shielded by family complicity and delayed reporting. The fact that the body was transported across districts on a public train, with the head still unrecovered, points to premeditated concealment rather than a crime of passion — a detail that will be significant at trial. The missing head also raises uncomfortable questions about investigative capacity: with CCTV available at multiple stations, how long did it take to identify the accused, and what does that lag mean for evidence integrity?
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Where was the girl's body found and when?
The body was found on 17 May 2025 by railway staff at Gomti Nagar Railway Station in Lucknow, stuffed inside a box under a seat in the S1 sleeper coach of the Chhapra-Gomti Nagar Express. The body had been cut into six pieces, and the victim's head was missing.
Who has been arrested in the Lucknow honour killing case?
Three people have been arrested: the victim's father Viggan Ansari (44) , her aunt Noorjahan (55) , and her uncle Mojibulla Ansari (65) . All three were apprehended from Kushinagar district in Uttar Pradesh.
What was the suspected motive behind the killing?
According to police, preliminary investigation suggests the victim was allegedly involved in a romantic relationship that reportedly angered her family members. Police suspect this was the motive for the suspected honour killing, though the investigation is still ongoing.
Have the murder weapons been recovered?
Yes. Police recovered two 'banka' weapons — sharp bladed implements — from the accused during the arrest operation. These are allegedly the weapons used in both the murder and the dismemberment of the body, according to SP Railway Rohit Mishra .
Is the victim's head still missing?
Yes. As of the latest reports, the victim's head has not been recovered. Search operations have been launched in Kushinagar district and in areas bordering Bihar to locate it.
