Lucknow | January 8, 2026

A sari recovered from a mustard field in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow has emerged as a crucial clue in identifying skeletal remains suspected to belong to a 30-year-old woman who had been missing for nearly a month, police officials said on Wednesday.

The remains were discovered in Kubehra village under the Nagram police station limits on Wednesday morning. According to the police, a local villager spotted the skeletal remains in a mustard field located near the Gomti river area and immediately informed authorities.

When police reached the spot around 10 am, they found a highly decomposed and mutilated body, reduced largely to skeletal form. Due to the advanced stage of decomposition, immediate visual identification was not possible, officials said.

Sari provides first identification clue

Police said the breakthrough came when they found a sari near the remains. The garment indicated that the skeleton was likely that of a woman. Upon further inquiry, family members identified the sari as belonging to Poonam, wife of Pitambar, a resident of the same village.

“The condition of the remains made it extremely difficult to establish identity. However, the sari recovered from the spot was identified by family members as belonging to Poonam, aged around 30 years,” said Nagram station officer Vivek Kumar Chaudhary.

Officials noted that the mustard field where the remains were found is located barely 300 metres from Poonam’s house, adding to the suspicion surrounding the case.

DNA test ordered to confirm identity

While police have provisionally identified the remains based on the clothing, they have sent the skeletal remains for DNA analysis to rule out any possibility of error.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Lucknow South) Rallapalli Vasanth Kumar said the DNA test was necessary to ensure absolute certainty.
“Once the DNA report is received, we will proceed accordingly. Until then, the investigation is being conducted from all possible angles,” he said.

Missing complaint filed in December

According to police records, Poonam was reported missing by her husband on December 13, 2025. In his complaint, Pitambar stated that his wife had left the house and did not return.

Police said that Poonam, who had two children, was allegedly in contact with a man from the neighbourhood. Based on call detail records, several villagers were questioned earlier as part of the probe.

Investigators also revealed that around two months before her disappearance, Pitambar had allegedly confiscated Poonam’s mobile phone following a dispute related to this matter. Police said she left the house after the incident.

Family alleges murder, protests

Following the recovery of the skeletal remains, Poonam’s family members accused her husband of murdering her. They staged a protest demanding strict action, prompting police intervention to pacify the situation.

Police confirmed that Pitambar is currently under their scanner as part of the investigation, while maintaining that other possibilities are also being examined.

“The husband is being questioned, but we are not ruling out any angle at this stage,” a senior official said.

The case now hinges on the DNA test report, which is expected to formally establish the identity of the remains and determine the course of the investigation.