New Delhi: The Delhi Police have arrested the husband of a 28-year-old newlywed woman who died after allegedly falling from the third floor of the NDMC residential flats at Palika Kunj in South Delhi's Lodhi Colony, after registering a case of dowry death in connection with the incident.
According to the police, a case under the relevant provisions related to dowry death was registered at Lodhi Colony Police Station on July 5 following the completion of legal formalities. The deceased's husband, Arastu Sikka, has since been arrested, and further investigation into the case is underway. The woman, identified as Akriti, a resident of Pushp Vihar, was found critically injured outside the NDMC residential complex on the evening of July 4.
She was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where doctors declared her brought dead.
Initially, police initiated inquest proceedings under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), informing the Sub-Divisional Magistrate while examining all possible angles surrounding the death. Investigators said the deceased had married Arastu Sikka on April 24 this year. She worked as a sales executive in Chhatarpur.
Police are examining CCTV footage and questioning residents of the area to reconstruct her movements before the incident, as it remains unclear why she was present at the NDMC housing complex, located several kilometres away from her marital home in Pushp Vihar.
The woman's family has alleged that she was subjected to repeated physical and mental harassment over dowry demands after what they described as a love marriage.
According to her relatives, her husband and in-laws allegedly demanded a car and cash, while also pressuring her to hand over her entire salary.
Family members claimed she wished to continue financially supporting her widowed mother, leading to frequent disputes with her husband.
Her relatives further alleged that the couple had a major argument shortly before her death and insisted that she was mentally strong and unlikely to have died by suicide.
They have demanded strict action against her husband and in-laws, alleging that she was either murdered or driven to death through sustained harassment.
Police said the exact cause and circumstances of Akriti's death will be established through the ongoing investigation and forensic evidence.