32-yr-old woman arrested for killing her father-in-law in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar

The accused allegedly killed her 62-year-old father-in-law over a property dispute. The crime occurred on Saturday, and she has confessed to the murder.

A 32-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly murdering her 62-year-old father-in-law, a retired Indian Air Force (IAF) engineer, by throttling him and smashing his head on the concrete floor of their house in Delhi’s Uttam Nagar on Saturday morning. The crime, witnessed by her young son and the teenage daughter of the victim, was reportedly driven by a dispute over family property.

According to family and neighbours, Geeta had persistently demanded a share in the old family house, even though Kumar had already purchased a separate property in Mohan Garden in the names of Praveen and Geeta. (Hindustan Times file photo)

The accused, identified as Geeta, was arrested from the scene and has confessed to the murder, police said on Monday. According to two investigators privy with the case details, who asked not to be identified, the assault took place on the terrace of the family home in Mansa Ram Park. Geeta allegedly pushed her father-in-law, Naresh Kumar, sat on his chest, and repeatedly slammed his head against the floor. She also throttled him until he lost consciousness.

Joint commissioner of police (Western Range) Jatin Narwal stated, “She confessed to her crime before neighbours and police. The murder happened over a property dispute. The woman wanted Kumar to give her a share in his property.”

The police were alerted around 10.46am on Saturday. deputy commissioner of police (Dwarka) Ankit Singh said a team found Kumar unconscious on the terrace. He was rushed to a hospital by his son, Kapil Kumar, but was declared dead. Geeta was arrested and a case under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita was registered.

A key witness was Kumar’s 13-year-old daughter whose statement forms the basis of the FIR. She reported that her four-year-old nephew alerted her, saying he was frightened because his mother was assaulting his grandfather on the terrace.

The 13-year-old told police in her statement that she rushed upstairs and found Geeta on her father’s chest, smashing his head on the floor and punching him. She called her brother Kapil, who instructed her to seek help from neighbours.

The teenager sought help from a neighbour, Shobha, and returned to the terrace to find Geeta pressing Kumar’s throat and shouting, “How will you now stop us from taking a share in the property.” When Shobha intervened, Geeta threatened them. They alerted other neighbours, who found Kumar unconscious with Geeta seated beside him.

Naresh Kumar, a retired IAF technical engineer (aeronautical engineer), had lived in the house for 30 years with his wife Kanta Devi, two sons, and daughter. His wife died in August after a prolonged illness. The elder son, Praveen – Geeta’s husband – works in Hyderabad and was away at the time of the murder.

According to family and neighbours, Geeta had persistently demanded a share in the old family house, even though Kumar had already purchased a separate property in Mohan Garden in the names of Praveen and Geeta.

The couple had moved there a year and a half ago but returned after Kanta Devi’s death in August and did not leave. “Praveen and Geeta had shifted to their new house with their son one and half years ago. They returned to the old house in August, when my mother died. They did not return after that. Geeta continued living here with her son and frequently quarrelled with my father,” Kapil said, declining to elaborate, calling it a family matter.

Police are awaiting the autopsy report to determine the exact cause of death and continue their investigation.