A 22-year-old Ahmedabad woman was allegedly murdered by her father and brother after a video of her with a man went viral. They staged her death as a hit-and-run to evade arrest before police uncovered the truth. Both accused are now in custody.
A case initially reported as a hit-and-run in Ahmedabad has turned into a suspected honour killing, with police alleging that a 22-year-old woman was murdered by her own father and brother after a video of her with a man went viral.
The victim, identified as Sofia Farooq, worked as a hospital receptionist. On the night of August 12, 2026, her father, Mohammed Farooq Nawabkhan (56), and brother, Mohammed Habil Farooq (38), took her out on a motorcycle ride. Around 11 pm, near Chelajpura Char Rasta, the family reported that their motorcycle had been hit from behind by a speeding vehicle that fled the scene. Sofia suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to hospital before being shifted to Civil Hospital, where she died during treatment early the next morning, on August 13.
Police initially registered the case as a hit-and-run at the M Division Traffic Police Station. However, investigators found that the evidence did not match the family's account of the accident.
Read more about the murder here.
During the probe, police learned that a video showing Sofia with a young man had gone viral roughly three months earlier. Investigators allege her father and brother harboured deep resentment over the video, fearing it would bring "social humiliation" to the family. According to police, the two men conspired to kill her to protect the family's reputation, with the brother allegedly concealing an iron hammer in his trousers before the fatal ride, staging the killing to look like a road accident.
Both men have been arrested and charged with murder.
(Readers seeking support or wanting to report concerns about domestic or gender-based violence can reach the Indian Women Helpline (Ministry of Women and Child Development) at 181.)
Also read: MANIPURI MUSICIAN BEATEN TO DEATH IN DELHI OVER NOISE DISPUTE, EIGHT HELD
Explore our upcoming features, author interviews, and deep-dives into new policy reforms.