LUCKNOW, June 26 -- Two days after a 17-year-old girl was murdered in Lucknow's Vigyanpuri colony allegedly by her stepfather, the victim's mother claimed that her husband danced on the girl's body after stabbing her 18 times. The man stabbed his stepdaughter to death over a family discord on Monday evening. The victim's mother, Rekha Rajput, who tried to stop the assailant, also sustained injuries. The accused, Vikas Chandra Pandey, has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. "Vikas was arrested on Monday night and is in judicial custody. The post-mortem report confirms the stab wounds on the girl's neck, stomach, and private parts," said DCP (central) Ashish Srivastava. Rekha Rajput told media persons that Vikas had been harassing Simran for the past two days and had made inappropriate advances towards her. "She told me on Monday what he was doing. When I confronted him, he lost control," she said, adding that the same afternoon, Vikas went to the police to complain about her and Simran. Police said the murder appears to have been planned. "He sharpened knives earlier that day and attacked Simran after accusing her of talking to boys. It was an extreme act of cruelty," said an officer from the Mahanagar police station. According to Rekha, Vikas remained near Simran's body, dancing and stomping on her. "He was not in his senses. I somehow managed to click a picture of him standing on her body. It was inhuman," she said. Rekha Rajput told the police that she was also injured while trying to intervene during the attack on Simran. "He attacked me with the same knife. I have deep cuts on my hands," she alleged. Investigators are also looking into a potential financial motive. Rekha revealed that Vikas had recently forced her to sell a plot in Gudamba for Rs.3 crore and was pressuring her to sell the current Vigyanpuri house, valued at Rs.2.5 crore. Frequent disputes over the property had become routine in the household, said police. Rekha married Vikas in 2024 after meeting him during the Covid lockdown. He initially came as a tenant in her house in 2020 and stayed for seven months. The two grew close, and Vikas later moved in permanently with Rekha and her daughter. But soon, the marriage turned sour. According to Rekha, Vikas consumed intoxicants, beat her regularly, and had frequent altercations with Simran, who often opposed his behaviour. "We are awaiting detailed forensic results. A team of forensic and women's cell officers is assisting in the probe," an officer confirmed. Vikas Pandey has been booked on murder and other relevant charges, and more sections may be added, depending on the findings of the report....