Husband arrested after newlywed woman’s death in Delhi; dowry death case registered (Ld)

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Delhi Police have registered a case under the relevant sections pertaining to dowry harassment in connection with the death of 28-year-old Akriti Sutar and have arrested her husband, Arastu Sikka, officials said on Monday.

According to Delhi Police, Akriti’s husband, Arastu Sikka, has been arrested in connection with the case. Officials said further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding her death.

Just over two months after her marriage, Akriti Sutar was found dead inside a residential complex in Delhi’s Lodhi Colony on Saturday.

While preliminary findings suggest that she may have fallen from the third floor of a building, her family has alleged that she was murdered following repeated harassment over dowry demands.

Akriti had married Arastu Sikka on April 24, just 72 days before the incident.

According to her family, Akriti had resumed work on Saturday after being on leave for several days. Rejecting any possibility of suicide, her relatives said she displayed no signs of emotional distress throughout the day. They said she attended office and even organised a small gathering for her colleagues, appearing cheerful and in good spirits.

Family members said Akriti spoke to her mother at around 6 p.m. on Saturday. During the conversation, she reportedly mentioned the office gathering and informed her that she was heading home. According to her relatives, she sounded completely normal and gave no indication that anything was wrong.

Her uncle, Mananjay Sutar, said the family received a phone call from Akriti’s husband, Arastu Sikka, at around 8 p.m., informing them that she was missing. About one-and-a-half hours later, the police contacted the family and informed them that the body of a woman had been found at Palika Kunj in Lodhi Colony.

According to reports, Akriti worked as a sales executive with a private company in Chhatarpur and lived in Pushp Vihar. Her body was found inside a residential society in Lodhi Colony, around 10 kilometres from her residence. Police suspect that she fell from the building, but the exact cause and circumstances of her death are yet to be established.

Her younger brother, Amay Sutar, firmly rejected the possibility of suicide, stating that Akriti was mentally strong and would never have taken such an extreme step.

The family has alleged that Akriti had been subjected to continuous harassment over dowry since her marriage. They claimed that her husband and his relatives had been demanding Rs 20 lakh and had repeatedly threatened and mistreated her.

They further alleged that Arastu had threatened to kill Akriti on several occasions and that the couple had a serious argument just two days before the incident.

Akriti and Arastu had reportedly been in a relationship for eight years before getting married in April. According to the family, Arastu is currently unemployed.

Delhi Police said the investigation is continuing and that all possible angles, including the allegations made by the victim’s family, are being thoroughly examined.

–IANS

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