Delhi: The mysterious death of a 28-year-old newlywed woman in Delhi has sparked allegations of murder from her family, who insist that the circumstances surrounding her death rule out suicide. The woman, Akriti Sutar, was found dead near a residential complex in Lodhi Colony on Saturday night, prompting police to launch a detailed investigation.
Akriti, who had married Arastu Sikka in April this year after an eight-year relationship, had resumed work earlier on Saturday following a period of leave. According to her family, she appeared cheerful throughout the day and even organised a small gathering for her colleagues before leaving office.
Relatives said Akriti had spoken to her mother over the phone in the evening and sounded completely normal. During the conversation, she reportedly mentioned the office get-together and informed her family that she was heading home.
A few hours later, however, the family received a call from her husband, who allegedly informed them that she could not be located. Shortly afterwards, police contacted the family regarding the recovery of a woman’s body from a residential society in Lodhi Colony, nearly 10 kilometres away from the couple’s residence.
Akriti’s family has questioned the sequence of events, maintaining that she had shown no signs of emotional distress. They have alleged that she had been facing harassment over dowry demands since her marriage and claimed that repeated disputes had taken place within the household.
According to the family, demands for a substantial amount of money had allegedly been made by her husband and his relatives. They also alleged that the couple had a serious disagreement only days before the incident and accused the husband of issuing threats in the past.
The deceased’s brother said Akriti was mentally resilient and had been looking forward to restarting work, making it difficult for the family to believe that she would take such an extreme step.
Police have confirmed that an investigation is underway and said all possible angles, including the family’s allegations, are being examined. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination, and investigators are collecting evidence to determine the exact circumstances that led to the young woman’s death.
