A 24-year-old man allegedly strangled his wife to death in front of their two-year-old daughter in Kamla Market on Friday night. Police said the man then proceeded to sit with the body and with the child on his lap for more than 24 hours, before going to a police station to confess to the crime on Sunday.
The man, who worked as a peon at a Delhi University college, suspected that his wife was having an affair, police said.
The man, identified by the police by his first name Kamil, was arrested after he led the police to his house at Shakir ki Dandi in Kamla Market. The body of his 22-year-old wife, Reshma, was found on a mattress on the floor. Reshma’s family members accused Kamil of allegedly torturing and killing his wife for dowry. Kamil was booked for murder and dowry death.
Police officials said that Kamil was carrying his daughter when he came to the police station to surrender. The child was handed over to Kamil’s family after Reshma’s parents refused to accept her, police said. Deputy commissioner of police (central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa said around 2am on Sunday, Kamil came to the police station and informed an officer on duty he had murdered his wife.
An officer associated with the case said initially some of the personnel on night duty at the police station were shocked and thought Kamil was drunk and was making false allegations. However, when he insisted the police visit his home to verify his claims, a team was dispatched.
“Kamil’s claims were found true and his wife was found on the mattress with strangulation marks around her neck. Her faced had turned blue and we suspected poisoning as well. The body was sent to Lok Nayak Hospital where doctors confirmed that she died of strangulation,” said the officer.
During interrogation, Kamil allegedly told investigators that he had been married to Reshma for three years ago.
“Kamil suspected Reshma of having an affair. The couple often had arguments over it. On October 18, Reshma left for her parents’ home with her daughter but returned the next day. On that night, they had an altercation during which Kamil strangled her,” said the officer.
After killing his wife, Kamil spent more than 24 hours sitting near her body with their daughter in his lap. The next morning, he fed milk to the child and then went to the police station to surrender, said police.
