Patna, Aug. 25: A 25-year-old woman and her three-year-old daughter were allegedly strangulated to death and their bodies were thrown into the river Ganges by her parents and relatives late last night.

The incident took place in the Gulab Bagh area under the Barh police station, about 65km from Patna, police said today. The woman had married a man against her family’s wish in 2008.

The police have detained a person, said to be a driver and an eyewitness who reportedly claimed that the mother-daughter duo were strangulated to death and their bodies were cut into pieces. The culprits later threw their bodies in the river.

Police said Sanjana Raj, the deceased, had married one Dilip Kumar against her family’s wishes in 2008.

“The man is also a resident of the same Gulab Bagh area. The family was against the relationship and the marriage. According to information with us so far, the family of the woman had got in touch with Dilip. They said their daughter was welcome to the house and she should be sent for a formal reception followed by the vidaai (sending) ceremony could be organized.

Dilip trusted them and sent his wife and daughter to her house,” a police officer told The Telegraph.

Last evening, Dilip tried to call his wife on her mobile but it remained switched off for hours together.

“The man doubted and he went to the residence of his in laws barely three km from his house. There he found that the house was locked. He inquired from the neighbours, who said that his wife and daughter had been killed and the family had fled away with the bodies. He then came up to the police station,” the officer said.

“An FIR has been lodged by Dilip against Nawal Kishore Yadav and Shivkumari Devi, the victim’s parents, brothers Munna and Vikas and uncle Vijay Yadav. All of them are absconding,” the officer added.

Patna senior superintendent of police Amrit Raj said the driver of the vehicle used by the accused was detained.