A jilted lover allegedly shot dead a newly married woman before taking his own life, in the Madafarpur market area under the Kodur police station in Pratapgarh early on Tuesday morning, police said.

The woman, married just four days ago, had returned to her maternal home from her in-laws’ house on Monday night, they said.

As per reports, Jyoti Verma (22), a resident of Madafarpur market,  had returned to her maternal home on Monday evening. As she stepped outside for some chores on Tuesday morning, the accused, who had been waiting for her, opened fire on her before fleeing the scene.

Hearing the gunshot, her family members rushed outside to find her lying in a pool of blood. She was taken to a nearby hospital, and the local police were informed. However, she was pronounced dead upon arrival.

The police identified the accused as Udayraj Verma (26), who was a resident of Pipri Khalsa in the Dilippur police station area of Pratapgarh.

Local residents claimed that Udayraj had been harassing Jyoti for several months, attempting to force her into marriage.

Despite efforts by her family to resolve the matter, Udayraj persisted, prompting the family to marry her to another man just four days earlier.

Enraged by this, Udayraj waited for Jyoti’s return. Upon learning that she had come back to her maternal home on Monday night, he lay in wait for her. On Tuesday morning, as soon as he saw her, he shot her dead.

After launching a manhunt for the accused, the police were stunned to discover his body just a few metres from Jyoti’s house. It was revealed that after killing her, Udayraj had fled and later turned the gun on himself. A pistol, believed to be the weapon used in both shootings, was recovered near his body.

Both bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination. Superintendent of Police Dr Anil Kumar visited the scene and confirmed that a case has been registered based on the family’s complaint. He assured that all necessary legal actions are being taken.