Delhi woman hammers husband to death, 6-year-old daughter may testify

The six-year-old girl was in the room sleeping with her two siblings when her mother allegedly bludgeoned the father to death. The girl could testify against the mother.

A six-year-old girl, who witnessed her mother hammer her father to death in his sleep in Outer Delhi’s Narela late Monday night, may testify against her mother in court.

A 30-year-old woman hammered her husband to death at their home in outer Delhi’s Narela late Monday night. The woman was upset with her husband, who had reportedly thrashed her when they had a quarrel in the evening.

The child and her two younger siblings were sleeping in the room when she heard her mother, Hansi, use a hammer to allegedly bludgeon her father, Kamal, to death following a scuffle between them. When the girl tried to come out of her blanket and stop her mother, she was allegedly scolded by her mother. The scared girl closed her eyes and did not come out of bed for the rest of the night.

Hansi had then gone on to watch a wedding procession passing by her home. When neighbours asked her about blood on her face, she had brushed aside the topic claiming they were Holi colours.

The victim, Kamal, was orphaned in his childhood and had spent a considerable part of his life at an orphanage. He was married to Hansi around seven years ago. Hansi has been suffering from mentally illness and was receiving treatment from Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) in Delhi, said police. She had also been battling serious temper issues.

The two had quarrelled over Hansi’s medicines which Kamal had apparently forgotten to buy while returning from a factory where he works. “During the quarrel, Kamal had beaten up Hansi. So, she was angry and waited for Kamal to sleep before using a hammer to repeatedly hit on his head,” MN Tiwari, DCP (Rohini), said.

Investigators said Hansi also attacked her husband with a pair of scissors after throwing away the hammer. Blood stains were found by the police on her face and walls. On Tuesday morning, the woman performed her household chores and later walked over to her mother’s home in the neighbourhood and narrated her crime, the DCP said.

Hansi’s mother rushed to her daughter’s house as she could not believe what she had heard. The commotion that followed on discovering the murder drew the attention of the neighbours. Someone soon informed the police and a team was sent to the spot.

Hansi was arrested on the spot. Interrogators said she was incoherent during questioning. Police have seized the weapon used in the crime and registered a murder case at Narela police station.