Agra: Autorickshaw driver murders American wife, commits suicide

, Feb 21: In an incident like a typical Bollywood sensational thriller, an American woman who fell in

with an autorickshaw driver in Agra and married him, was viciously stabbed to death by her estranged husband. Later, the accused man, blew himself up at his home.

In July last year, American social worker, 35-year-old Erin White alias Kiran Sharma visited Agra along with a group of American friends where she met auto driver 32-year old Bunty Sharma alias Ashok.

In September, both of them tied knot on the rooftop of a hotel in Tajganj, against the backdrop of the Taj Mahal.

However, PTI report saud that they got married in a court on October 11 and started living together in the Shaheed Nagar Colony of the city.

But, sadly, their 'unusual' love story took a tragic twist, due to 'marital discord' and when quarrels cropped up, they started living separately.

Erin was deeply in love with Indian culture and wanted to improve Agra.

On Thursday evening, he stabbed her to death, several times on her face and other body parts, killing her on the spot. Her body was then dumped and found around 8 pm near Tucker road, police said.

After committing the brutal murder, Bunty returned his home in Sanjay Nagar in Ukkarra area. He shut himself up in his room, opened a gas cylinder valve and blew himself up, when he succumbed due to severe injuries.

The day she was murdered, Erin had addressed a press conference in afternoon to promote her campaign "Agra Sunder Hai". Several local NGOs pledged support to her.

Senior police officials along-with the dog squad visited the two spots.

Police said the blood-stained knife with which Erin had been attacked had been recovered and the bodies sent for postmortem.

Shalabh Mathur, a senior police official, told media persons that the incident took place due to personal problems between the two, following which Bunty killed her and then committed suicide.

Police said the couple were having 'marital problems' for the past few months.

Bunty accused Erin of lying that she was not married while Erin charged Bunty with cruelty, greed, infidelity and also concealing the fact that he was already married once.

Erin even reported the matter to the Tourism police and a case was registered with the Family Court.

But both had visited a family counsellor to resolve their differences. The family counsellor managed to persuade the two to end their differences and start living peacefully.

Meanwhile, the union home ministry and the American embassy in New Delhi have been informed about the incident.

Erin White, a professional yoga teacher, was deeply in love with Indian culture and wanted to improve civic conditions in Agra.

She had identified three areas which needed to be focused in Agra: water, plastic waste and garbage disposal.

OneIndia News

(With agency inputs)