New Delhi, July 16: A 39-year-old air hostess died after falling from the fourth floor of her house in south Delhi’s Panchsheel Park on Friday afternoon. The family of the victim later alleged that her husband and in-laws were harassing her for dowry.
Romil Baaniya, deputy commissioner of police (south), said a case under Indian Penal Code section 304B (dowry death) has been registered at Hauz Khas police station, but the accused were yet to be arrested.
Though the woman’s family members claimed it to be a murder case, the DCP said that messages sent by the woman to her husband’s mobile phone, moments before her death, indicated that it wasn’t a murder.
The victim, identified as Anissia Batra, was the daughter of a retired Indian Army Major General, and worked for German airline carrier Lufthansa.
She was married to software engineer Mayank Singhvi for the last two-and-a-half years, said the DCP.
They lived in one of the two houses owned by her husband’s family in Panchsheel Park neighbourhood, said the officer.
Anissia’s brother Karan Batra alleged that she was regularly abused and beaten by her husband as well as her in-laws. “Singhvi would hit my mother too. Sometimes, my sister would be left locked out of her home,” alleged Batra.
Batra said last month his father had visited the Hauz Khas police station and submitted a letter saying Singhvi should be held responsible if Anissia was harmed in any way.
Singhvi could not be contacted for a comment as both the police and Anissia’s family refused to share Singhvi’s contact details.
“Singhvi has told us that around 4.30pm on Friday, he received a message from his wife who informed him that she was going to jump to her death. He claimed to have run upstairs to check, but found the terrace door locked from the outside,” said the DCP.
“Singhvi then used a window to stick his hand out and unlock the door.He, however, couldn’t find his wife on the terrace. He then ran downstairs where a labourer told him that a woman had just jumped down,” said the DCP.
Anissia’s parents told the police that she was being harassed by her husband and in-laws for dowry. “The police considered registering a case of dowry death, but my sister was murdered. She was pushed off the terrace, but the police is choosing to believe only Singhvi’s version,” alleged Batra.
The DCP said a decision to arrest Singhvi will be taken after completion of the initial enquiry.
“The post-mortem has been conducted, but the woman’s family wanted it recorded on video. We will request for a second autopsy,” said the deputy commissioner of police.
Source Hindustan Times
