A woman was strangled to death at her home in Jhansi’s Sipri Bazar region after a heated argument with her husband, police said today. The incident was revealed on Monday morning when family members found her unconscious in her room. Her husband Yash Thakur, 28, is now out of town but police are on the job to find him.
The deceased was Sudha, also known as Shivani, a native of Indergarh in Madhya Pradesh. She lived in Jhansi for around three months. Shivani had moved to the city as she had been accused of domestic violence issues in her marriage, according to her family.
Police said the death was suspicious from the beginning. Shivani was said to have spent last night at home with Yash after the couple had an argument on Sunday morning. Her younger sister Muskan, 18, was asleep in an opposite room. Yash locked the doors of both rooms at night from the outside before leaving the house.
The incident was discovered several hours later. At 9 a.m. on Monday, Shivani’s brother Aniket arrived at the house and found the door to her room locked from outside. He opened it and found his sister lying unconscious on the floor. Muskan was still in the adjoining room, whose door was also locked from outside.
The family immediately rushed Shivani to the Medical College for treatment. But doctors examined her and declared her dead. Family members, however, raised allegations against Yash, claiming he had killed Shivani before leaving the house.
Aniket claimed that there were red marks around Shivani’s neck and blood was coming from her ear. He and Muskan accused Yash of being responsible for her death and said he had latched both rooms from outside before fleeing the house.
Shivani first met Yash, who was from Gwalior, through social media a few years ago, Muskan said. They developed a relationship and their families agreed to the marriage. They got married around one and a half years ago.
Shivani initially lived in Gwalior with Yash, Muskan said. However, she moved to Jhansi after being physically assaulted by her husband over small issues. She rented a room near Awas Vikas Fauji Tiraha where Muskan and Aniket also lived with her. Yash continued to visit Shivani from time to time in Jhansi.
Shivani had travelled to Gwalior with her younger brother Kapil on a day before Raksha Bandhan, they said. She stayed there for two days before returning to Jhansi with Yash, while Kapil went back to their village.
The situation became tense again Sunday night. Shivani and Yash had an argument during which Yash allegedly abused her family members, Muskan said. Their maternal uncle Santosh, who lived nearby, intervened and calmed the situation down.
Later Muskan went to sleep in the next room while Shivani and Yash remained together in the other room. Muskan said between 1:30 am to 2 am Yash asked for his bag saying he needed to take some belongings. He allegedly latched the door from outside after receiving the bag.
Muskan said she woke up around 5 a.m. and tried to open her room to use the bathroom but could not do so. She called out to Shivani and Yash for nearly half an hour but no reply came. She returned to sleep, unaware of what had happened in the other room.
At around 9 am, Aniket arrived at the house and opened the door. Muskan went into Shivani’s room and found her lying on the floor. The family rushed her to the hospital where she was declared dead.
CO Ramveer Singh said an injury mark was visible on Shivani’s neck, while no other injuries were initially apparent. Police sent the body for a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.
A two-doctor panel conducted the post-mortem examination. Shivani had been strangled to death, the doctors said. Five injuries were found around her neck and face. Police suspect that the strangulation may have been carried out using a rope or some kind of clothing.
Police are investigating the circumstances of Shivani’s death. Teams are searching for Yash, who is still absconding. The investigators are also assessing the sequence of events during the night, statements from family members and other evidence available to establish what happened inside the house.
Post-mortem findings and further forensic analysis will also provide additional information on the cause of death, according to police. Police said further action will be taken based on the evidence collected during the investigation.
Shivani’s family members have also been worried and said previous marital disputes and alleged assault may have been involved in the incident. Police are still checking these claims as part of the investigation.
