A man was arrested for allegedly strangling his wife and burying her near railways in northwest Delhi, police said on Monday.
The man’s mother and a minor were also held after the accused revealed their involvement in the incident, they said. The victim Sapna (25), who was living with her husband Vicky (19) and her in-laws, was reported missing by her mother on January 25 after her in-laws could not tell her where she was.
According to police, Sapna’s mother Savitri lodged a complaint saying she witnessed her daughter have a quarrel with her in-laws on December 24. "When Savitri attempted to intervene and speak to her daughter, she was sent back home. Despite numerous attempts, Savitri was not able to talk to Sapna. Eventually, when she inquired about Sapna's whereabouts from her mother-in-law, she was informed that both Sapna and Vicky had left home," a senior police officer said.
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The officer further said that on January 25, she lodged a complaint about her daughter's disappearance at the Ashok Vihar police station.
On February 8, police received a call regarding the discovery of a body wrapped in a bed cover inside a pit at a greenbelt area near railway tracks. The body was later identified as Sapna by her mother based on distinctive features, including a tattoo on the left hand, the officer said.
The autopsy revealed that the cause of death was “manual strangulation” and the case was then categorised as a homicide, he said. During investigation, it was found that Vicky's mobile phone had been switched off since December 26, raising suspicions about his involvement, the officer said.
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He said Vicky was subsequently arrested after collection of evidence and his interrogation. He confessed to committing the crime with the assistance of his mother and a minor, the officer said.
"Subsequently, co-accused Tara Devi and a juvenile were apprehended from SS Nagar and Azadpur, respectively,” he said. During interrogation, police said Vicky said that he and Sapna had been married for about a year. He revealed that Sapna was pregnant with his child but she suffered a miscarriage in October last year due to some health complications.
Vicky confessed that their relationship deteriorated after the miscarriage, with frequent arguments, the officer said. He disclosed that on the night of December 26 last year, a heated argument turned violent, resulting in Sapna's death at his hands after which they buried her body in a pit, the officer said.
"We have registered an FIR and have started further investigation into the matter," he added.
