Last Updated:March 05, 2026, 12:52 IST

On February 21, a burnt body found in a Meerut mustard field was first identified as Archita Arora. But a passport later sparked claims she was Muhabbat from Turkmenistan

Police suspect that the Aadhaar card in the name of Archita Arora may have been fraudulently created and used for illegal activities.

A shocking murder case in Meerut has taken a dramatic turn after fresh claims emerged regarding the identity of the victim whose mutilated body was recovered in a mustard field last month. What initially appeared to be the murder of a 35-year-old woman from Haryana has now developed into an international mystery involving a possible foreign national.

Body Found In Mustard Field

On February 21, the mutilated body of a woman was found in a mustard field near the Meerut-Bijnor highway. Her face had been severely burned with acid in an apparent attempt to conceal her identity. An Aadhaar card was recovered from the spot, based on which police initially identified the deceased as Archita Arora, 35, a resident of Ambala.

The condition of the body made identification difficult, prompting police to launch an extensive investigation.

CCTV Footage Leads To Arrests

To crack the case, police scanned more than 500 CCTV footage clips from different locations. During the probe, officers traced a car suspected of being used to transport the body. The vehicle was linked to a local hotel, where further investigation revealed that the woman had visited prior to her death.

Police arrested hotel manager Chanchal Kumar, also known as Bunty, along with his three associates, Arvind alias Monu, Sandeep alias Rahul, and Vivek alias Kaka. All four accused are residents of Meerut and have been sent to jail.

According to police, the accused confessed that a dispute over money took place at the hotel. The woman allegedly threatened to accuse them of rape. Fearing legal consequences, the men reportedly suffocated her with a blanket. They later dumped her body in a mustard field and attempted to destroy her face with acid to prevent identification.

The post-mortem report confirmed that the cause of death was suffocation.

Identity Dispute Emerges

However, the case took a new turn. According to a report by Times of India, a woman from Delhi contacted Meerut Police claiming the deceased was not Archita Arora but Muhabbat Sunatovna Nazhmudinova, a native of Turkmenistan.

The woman, also from the Central Asian country, said she was the victim’s friend and shared a copy of her passport with the authorities. A senior police officer associated with the investigation stated, “Muhabbat made her last phone call to an Uzbek woman, Aziza Fayzullaevna Kilicheva, 49. It was she who identified Muhabbat. We shared a photograph of the body with Aziza, who forwarded it to the victim’s mother in Turkmenistan. The mother identified her daughter based on her clothes and earrings.”

Mother Identifies Daughter’s Body

A woman identified as Gulnara Sunatovna Nazhmudinova, 59, from Lebap Velayat in Turkmenistan, contacted police via video call and claimed that the deceased was her daughter, Muhabbat Sunatovna Nazhmudinova.

She informed authorities that her daughter had been living in India for nearly 15 years. Due to the severe burns on the face, visual identification was challenging.

Police have forwarded the passport copy and case details to the Ministry of External Affairs for verification of passport, visa and travel records. Efforts are also underway to contact the woman’s acquaintances in India.

Possible International Angle

With conflicting claims over the victim’s identity, the case has now become more complex. Police suspect that the Aadhaar card in the name of Archita Arora may have been fraudulently created and used for illegal activities.

Authorities are also probing whether the case has links to an international sex racket. Charges of murder and destruction of evidence have been filed against the accused.

Officials have stated that a fresh and detailed investigation is underway to establish the victim’s true identity. Only after verification of international documents and further forensic examination will the complete facts of the case emerge.

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