Husband kills self after finding wife dead

A couple married for the past 15 years chose to end their lives within minutes of each other following a recent reminder of the husband's alleged infidelity, at their house in west Delhi on Thursday night.

While Ravi, who used to repair air conditioners for a living, was found hanging from the ceiling fan, his wife Shalini, whose death police attribute to hanging too, was found lying on an adjacent bed at their Khayala residence around 9:55pm on Thursday night.

Police claimed the couple decided to kill themselves one after the other at the end of a bitter confrontation instigated by a photograph of Ravi's alleged lover which Shalini found hidden in his clothes.

"According to the couple's eldest daughter, there was a fight between the couple some time in the evening after which Ravi left the house in a fit of rage. In the meantime, Shalini hung herself," said V Renganathan, additional CP (west).

Police suspect Ravi hung himself out of fear when he discovered that his wife had hung herself and he failed to revive her. The couple has three children.

"There used to be constant fights between the couple owing to Ravi's extra-marital affair with a woman who also used to visit the couple's house often," said an investigating officer.

"It is all because of Ravi's relationship with another woman. They used to fight at the slightest provocation since Shalini got to know about the affair some time ago," cried Ravi's mother Shobha Devi.

According to police, Shalini confronted her husband after she found the other woman's picture in his cupboard. Earlier, she had read some text messages sent by her on Ravi's mobile phone.

Police attributed the death of both to asphyxiation due to hanging.

Shalini's viscera report is being sought and inquest proceedings have been initiated in the matter though no criminal case has been registered.