In Indore, a 24-year-old MBA student was allegedly raped and murdered by her classmate and boyfriend, Piyush Dhamnotiya, after she refused his sexual advances and resisted his control, police say.

The woman’s body was found in Dhamnotiya’s rented flat on 13 February, three days after she was reported missing. Police allege that after killing her, he remained at the scene, drank beside her body and committed further sexual abuse, then fled to Mumbai where he was arrested on 14 February.

Investigators are probing digital evidence and motives, while the victim’s family and public activists stress that this crime underscores the brutal consequences of denying a woman’s right to refuse intimacy.

Consent, Control and Crime – What Police and Families Say

According to Indore Police, the accused allegedly pressured the woman for sex and, when she said she was unwell and resisted, forced himself on her before killing her. After the murder, officers say he tied her hands and feet, gagged her and strangled her until she died.

Police also claim he sent multiple objectionable videos from her phone to college groups and contacts in a bid to defame her after the crime.

“He suspected she was talking to other men and became enraged,” a senior official told reporters, highlighting a toxic mix of jealousy, control and entitlement. The victim’s father has demanded the harshest punishment, calling attention to the sustained violation of her dignity.

Brutality After Death and Broader Context

Beyond the killing, investigations revealed disturbing conduct: the accused allegedly returned to the flat after buying beer, sat beside the victim’s body and is reported to have sexually assaulted it before fleeing.

He is also said to have engaged in occult practices while on the run, claiming he wanted to “communicate with her spirit.”

These acts, police believe, point not only to severe psychological disturbance but also to an utter disregard for the woman’s bodily autonomy even after death. Rights groups say this incident reflects wider issues of misogyny, the policing of women’s behaviour and the dangers women face when refusal of intimacy is interpreted by some as provocation rather than a right.

Accused Arrest

In a chilling interaction with the media during his custody proceedings, Piyush Dhamnotiya appeared unusually calm and devoid of remorse, brushing off questions about his actions with dismissive remarks such as, “Whatever had to happen has happened, leave it… what will you do knowing?” and “I will tell you the reason when the time comes.”

His faint smile and nonchalant tone, even when pressed on motive and the brutality of the crime, have sent shockwaves through public discourse, further highlighting the disturbing disconnect between his denial of responsibility and the gravity of the allegations against him.

Critics say his attitude not only deepens the pain of the victim’s family but also reflects a broader societal failure to take consent and women’s dignity seriously, raising urgent questions about how cultural narratives around rejection and control can enable such violence.

The Logical Indian’s Perspective

This case is a grim reminder that consent is not optional, and insisting otherwise has fatal consequences. A woman’s decision about her body, her relationships and her boundaries must be respected absolutely.

What authorities describe pressure for sex, coercive control, defamation and violence reflects a broader social crisis where women’s dignity is still not fully recognised as inviolable.

Violence becomes more likely where rejection is met with punishment, not understanding; where autonomy is questioned, not upheld; and where consent is seen as negotiable, not essential.