NEW DELHI: A 24-year-old woman was found murdered in southwest Delhi’s Dabri area on Friday, her decomposed body concealed inside a bed at her rented accommodation. Police suspect her husband’s involvement, as he has been absconding since the crime.
The deceased, Deepa, had been living with her husband, Dhanraj, a cab driver, at a rented flat in Dabri. The couple had a two-year-old daughter, who was staying with maternal relatives at the time of the incident.
The crime was discovered when Deepa’s elderly mother visited the flat in the evening to feed her pet parrots, as per her daily routine.
Noticing a foul smell emanating from the locked house, she immediately contacted her husband, who alerted the police. “Upon receiving the complaint, a police team rushed to the scene and found the flat locked,” said a senior police officer.
After breaking open the door, the police conducted a thorough search of the premises. “The victim’s decomposed body was found concealed inside a bed in the bedroom,” the officer added.
Police sources revealed that Deepa had been dead for approximately 72 hours before the discovery. Her mouth was found taped and the body was found hidden within the bed frame. “The decomposition and the manner in which the body was concealed suggest she was murdered about three days before being discovered. The careful hiding of the body indicates premeditation,” the sources said.
Deepa’s father filed a formal complaint. Police said the couple had been married for five years, and the two-year-old daughter was living with maternal relatives at the time of the incident. A case under Section 103 (murder) of BNS has been registered at Dabri police station.
“Crime teams and FSL experts have thoroughly examined the scene. We are awaiting the post-mortem report to determine the exact cause of death,” said DCP Ankit Singh (Dwarka), adding, “multiple teams have been formed to locate the husband, who has been missing since the crime and is the prime suspect.”
The police are currently scanning CCTV footage to track Dhanraj’s movements and have questioned several individuals to uncover the motive behind the crime. A manhunt is underway for the absconding husband, with further details awaited pending the post-mortem report.
