Ghaziabad: Woman murders in-law over ‘property dispute’

The deceased was found dead in one of the rooms on the ground floor, with severe injuries to his head

Ghaziabad A 25-year-old woman allegedly murdered her 64-year-old father-in-law with a cricket bat at their house in Govindpuram locality of Ghaziabad late Friday after he reportedly made sexual advances towards her and threatened to oust her and her two kids from the property, police said on Saturday.

The officials said that a couple of months after her husband’s death, her father-in-law had asked her to leave. Ever since, she was staying with her parents prior to returning to this house of late. (Representational image)

The woman, whose husband died four years ago during the Covid-19 pandemic, started residing at her in-laws’ house since the past month on court orders. She lived on the first floor with her kids and her teenaged sister, while the father-in-law lived on the ground floor. His wife died six years ago, police said.

“Her father-in-law was having an altercation with a woman friend, who was demanding possession of the first floor. Her father-in-law conceded, and also told his daughter-in-law that he would not let her have any share in his property,” a police investigator said.

Police identified the accused as Arti Singh, originally from Dhaulana, Hapur district, and her deceased father-in-law as Paati Singh, a retired central government employee.

“The deceased was found dead in one of the rooms on the ground floor, with severe injuries to his head. After we investigated, his daughter-in-law accepted her role behind the murder. She told us that her father-in-law made advances towards her, and he made a similar attempt on Friday morning. This triggered the incident. He had also threatened that he will debar her and her children from the property. All these issues angered her, and she picked up a cricket bat and hit her father-in-law,” said deputy commissioner of police (city zone) Rajesh Kumar.

The officials said that a couple of months after her husband’s death, her father-in-law had asked her to leave. Ever since, she was staying with her parents prior to returning to this house of late.

On Friday evening, he stepped out and returned at 7.24pm. As he was closing the main entrance of the house, “In between, the woman also came down carrying a cricket bat and hit his head several times from behind. The suspect then dragged him into one of the rooms and again hit the head repeatedly with the bat,” said ACP (Kavi Nagar circle), Swatntra Kumar Singh.

“As police reached first floor, the woman and her family were having dinner. Police questioned the woman, and she broke down immediately and accepted her crime,” the ACP added.

Police have booked her for murder and destruction of evidence at Kavi Nagar police station.