The murder of an interfaith couple and the arrest of the woman's brothers by the police for the alleged crime has shocked a small village in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state where residents have lived in harmony for years. The bodies of 19-year-old Kajal, a Hindu, and 27-year-old Mohammad Arman, a Muslim, were found buried near a riverbank on the outskirts of Umri village on 21 January. Police said they were beaten to death with a spade two days earlier, allegedly by Kajal's three brothers, who have been arrested. They are in custody and have not commented on the killings. The murders have left an uneasy quiet hanging over Umri, 182km (113 miles) from India's capital Delhi. The village is home to about 400 families - from both Hindu and Muslim communities - and several residents told the BBC they have shared a warm relationship without any history of religious disputes. Deputy inspector general of state police Muniraj G told the BBC that police believe it to be a case of honour killing - murder by relatives or community members to punish women for falling in love or marrying outside their caste or religion. India's National Crime Records Bureau began recording honour killings in 2014, when it listed 18 cases nationwide. Its latest annual report recorded 38 such cases in 2023. Activists, however, say the numbers are significantly higher - in hundreds every year - as many cases are recorded simply as homicide. Umri, in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad district, is largely rural where strong social hierarchies influence everyday life. Negotiations and mediation by community elders are the norm in conflicts, but in this case, the deadly outcome suggests a breakdown of this social fabric. Supporters of the couple's choice of love have faced threats and accusations, prompting a need for improved legal protections and societal acceptance of intercultural relationships.