A 19-year-old woman was stabbed to death allegedly by her father inside a police station in Banda district of Uttar Pradesh on Friday, shortly after she reiterated her decision to stay with the man she had married against her family’s wishes, police said.The victim belonged to a backward caste while the youth she married is a Dalit.The accused, Satya Kumar Chauhan (55), has been arrested, police said.The incident took place at the Badausa police station, where the woman, Shivani Chauhan, was brought after being recovered by police following her elopement and marriage to Lalit Verma (20), a neighbour. According to police, Shivani had left home on May 18 with Lalit and later married him in Madhya Pradesh against her family’s wishes. Following a complaint lodged by her family, she was traced and brought to the police station for legal formalities, including recording her statement.“After being traced, she repeatedly insisted on meeting her parents. Her family was informed and called to the police station, where they were talking and counselling was being done when the father committed the act,” Circle Officer Pratigya Singh said.Banda Superintendent of Police (SP) Palash Bansal said Shivani’s father, Satya Kumar Chauhan (55), and her mother Ranno were at the police station. However, Lalit and his family were not present. Police said Chauhan suddenly attacked Shivani during the interaction and the personnel present at the spot immediately intervened and overpowered him, but by then the victim had sustained serious injuries.Shivani was rushed to a community health centre in Atarra and later referred to the Banda Medical College, where she died during treatment. Police said the accused was taken into custody soon after the incident and a case was initially registered under Section 109 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Following Shivani’s death, Section 103 (murder) of the BNS was added to the FIR on the complaint of the victim’s mother.Story continues below this adBansal said during her statement, Shivani told officials that she had left home voluntarily and wished to live with the man she had married.“The family did not agree to the marriage and was trying to convince her. During her statement, the girl said she had gone of her own free will and wanted to live with the person she had married. Beyond that, the exact reason behind the father’s actions is not clear at this stage,” SP Bansal said.Further investigation is underway, police said.