Murder case filed in Delhi after cops halt 19-yr-old woman’s burial

The postmortem report from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital confirmed the cause of death after which a murder case registered.

Delhi Police on Thursday filed a case of murder after officials halted the burial of a 19-year-old woman in Tihar village on Wednesday and sent the body for postmortem, which confirmed the woman had been “smothered” to death, officials said on Thursday.

Preliminary enquiry revealed the family was against the woman’s relationship with a relative. (Hindustan Times File)

The postmortem report from Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital confirmed the cause of death after which a murder case was registered at Hari Nagar Police Station, deputy commissioner of police (west) Sharad Bhaskar said on Thursday.

What initial probe revealed

Preliminary enquiry revealed the family was against the woman’s relationship with a relative. “The people involved are being questioned to ascertain the sequence of events and their role,” added DCP Bhaskar

The matter came to police attention after a cousin of a friend of the victim alerted authorities, according to an officer aware of the case details who asked not to be identified.

The matter came to police attention after a cousin of a friend of the victim alerted authorities (HT GFX)

DCP Bhaskar said that all of the woman’s family members are being questioned in the case.

Hari Nagar police station received a call around 2pm on Wednesday alleging the woman was “killed by her family” and her body was being taken for burial. A police team rushed to the spot, took the body into custody, and sent it for postmortem.

A police officer, on condition of anonymity, said the caller received the information about the burial from another person. “We have identified the caller and are trying to contact the person who informed him,” the officer said.

Neighbour describes horror

Speaking to HT, a neighbour of the victim’s family, who asked not to be identified, alleged the woman had been “locked inside the house for four days” and was being assaulted by her family members.

“She was beaten by her family, and whenever I passed by, she asked me to somehow open the lock. Her family had put a large lock on the door and would leave for work every day. There was no way for me to open it,” the neighbour said.

On Wednesday morning at around 9am, the neighbour alleged that she saw the woman’s mother, father, and brother standing outside the house. “Her mother started crying, and when I went downstairs, she said that her daughter was no more. She said her daughter was suffering from cancer, jaundice, and kidney failure. We were shocked as it didn’t seem that she was ill,” she said.

According to neighbours, the family conducted last rites in front of them and took the body to a mosque for prayers before police arrived, stopped them, and took the body. Four family members were taken for questioning.The deceased’s family, according to the neighbours, had moved from Bihar about a year ago. Her father and brother sell vegetables at a neighbourhood market; her mother and one elder sister work as domestic help, while another elder sister is married. She also has a younger brother who lives in Bihar with extended family. Interrogation of the family members is underway.