Somaiya Begum was found dead on wasteland in Bradford. Her uncle Mohammed Taroos Khan has been jailed for 25-years after being found guilty of her murder.
Jurors have convicted a man of murdering his 20-year-old niece after she refused an arranged marriage.
Mohammed Taroos Khan, 53, killed Somaiya Begum before dumping her body on wasteland in Bradford in July 2022.
Khan, of Thornbury Road, admitted perverting the course of justice by disposing of Miss Begum’s body and trying to burn her mobile phone. He was found guilty of murder after a trial at Bradford Crown Court.
At Bradford Crown Court on 15th March, Khan was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in jail.
Jurors heard Somaiya was subject to a Forced Marriage Protection Order at the time of her death due to attempts by her father to force her to marry a cousin “by threat of violence”.
During his trial, jurors were shown CCTV footage of Khan dragging Miss Begum’s body from his car and dumping it on waste ground.
The university student’s body was found wrapped in a rug, tied up with string, on land near Fitzwilliam Street 11 days after she went missing.
Bradford Crown Court previously heard the Leeds Beckett University student had been living with another of her uncles in Binnie Street after her parents had been issued with the order.
A post-mortem examination found a 4in (10.7cm) metal spike embedded in Miss Begum’s back which had penetrated her lung.
Det Supt Marc Bowes, from West Yorkshire Police, said Miss Begum was killed in a “vicious and sustained attack”, and that He said Khan’s disposal of his niece’s body was “despicable” and “can only be described as beyond belief”.
Mr Bowes said: “Somaiya was a bright young woman who was studying to get a degree, had a part-time job to support herself and was happy and content. She had her whole life ahead of her and it was cruelly cut short by her uncle, someone who is meant to love, care and protect her.
“Khan subjected Somaiya to a horrendous attack for reasons only known to him. He went to extreme lengths to cover up his crime; he dumped her body in wasteland, showing complete disregard and disrespect for human life, with the hope that her body would never be found.”
