Delhi: Woman held for husband’s murder; court releases her for lack of evidence

Delhi Police arrested a woman for allegedly strangling her husband, initially claimed to be a suicide, but she was later released due to lack of evidence.

The Delhi Police on Friday arrested a woman for allegedly murdering her 45-year-old husband, whose body she had taken to a hospital on July 6 claiming that he had died by suicide but an autopsy later revealed he was strangulated, police said on Monday. The woman, however, was released by a court after police said that they did not find sufficient evidence against her, officers added.

The victim, an NDMC class 4 employee, was rushed to Lok Nayak Hospital on the night of July 6 by his wife and a neighbour. The woman allegedly told doctors that he had died by suicide. (Representational image)

The victim, an NDMC class 4 employee, was rushed to Lok Nayak Hospital on the night of July 6 by his wife and a neighbour. The woman allegedly told doctors that he had died by suicide. The man lived with his wife and four children — three daughters aged 21, 19 and 17, and an 8-year-old son.

“There were ligature marks on his neck. So the death didn’t appear natural. When we questioned his wife, she said the man had hanged himself. We began proceedings for an autopsy,” the officer said. That night, police inspected the man’s house. “No hanging material or ligature cloth was found at the location,” the officer said.

The next day, the doctor who conducted the autopsy told investigators that the man died due to rupture of trachea due to strangulation, a task which required at least two people to do, police said.

A case under sections 103(1) (murder) and 3/5 (common intention) was registered at IP Estate police station.

Investigators questioned neighbours and family members and discovered that on the night of the incident a party had taken place near the victim’s house. “No suspicious person entered or exited the house that evening,” the officer said, adding that the prime suspects in the case were his family members.

Sustained interrogation from immediate and extended family members revealed that the man had physically abuse his wife for more than two decades. He used to regularly assault his children, too. He also allegedly sexually assaulted his wife in front of the children, police said.

The deceased’s sister, 40, also said that he used to get drunk. “Our houses are small. The fights used to happen in front of everyone and often in the street as well. We don’t know how he died though,” she said.

The man’s 65-year-old mother also said that her daughter-in-law was a victim of domestic abuse and the childreb were assaulted.

After the autopsy report, police arrested the deceased’s 42-year-old wife on Friday and took her on one-day police remand to gather evidence — a cloth or string used to allegedly strangulate the victim, however, none of it was found.

On Saturday, police produced the woman before the court in Tis Hazari, and the court ordered her release citing lack of evidence but with the caveat that she may be re-arrested if evidence is found against her, police said.