MEERUT, Aug. 1 -- A woman was allegedly murdered and robbed on the Bareilly-Wazirganj highway while her husband was held at gunpoint late Wednesday night. The couple was returning from Purnagiri temple when they were waylaid by around half a dozen armed men, police said on Thursday. The deceased was identified as Amrawati, 35, and her husband as Om Sharan -- residents of Vyooli village in Wazirganj block. As per reports, after briefly stopping at Amrawati's parental home in Motipura village, Aonla, they resumed their journey on a borrowed bike at around 11:30pm. They were intercepted by the group near Kanthari temple on Wazirganj road. The group, armed with country-made pistols and sharp-edged weapons, held Om Sharan at gunpoint and asked Amrawati to take off her ornaments. When she refused, one of the accused struck her repeatedly on the head and face with a sharp-edged weapon until she collapsed to the ground, bleeding profusely, police said. The attackers then looted Amrawati's earrings and mangalsutra and also robbed Om Sharan of cash before fleeing the scene, police added. Om Sharan later called his brother-in-law, an advocate friend (Anil), and emergency services via Dial 112. A police team rushed the couple to the Aonla community health centre, where Amrawati was pronounced dead upon arrival. Om Sharan's brother-in-law told the police that the couple had gone to the temple while their children (a son and a daughter) stayed back. Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Anurag Arya and SP (south) Anshika Verma also reached the spot while the police's field unit, Special Operations Group (SOG), surveillance and forensic teams collected evidence from the crime scene. A murder and robbery case was registered based on Om Sharan's complaint. The police recovered Amrawati's mangalsutra and earrings from the crime scene, raising questions about whether the attack was entirely motivated by loot. Om Sharan did not sustain serious injuries, though investigators noted scratch marks on his chest. "The nature of the injuries and items recovered from the crime scene suggest that murder was the primary motive," SSP Arya said. "We have formed three separate teams to investigate the case and arrest the culprits," the SSP said....