What drove woman to kill her husband at their Uttam Nagar house?

Delhi: Following the narrow lanes in West Delhi’s Uttam Nagar, one is faced with a multi-storeyed building with a ramshackle littering of dangling wires tangled up in a jumbled mess. The site of the tragic death of a 33-year-old man, allegedly by his wife, has left the entire area in a sense of dread and utmost silence.

The deceased, Sachin Rana, was allegedly killed by his wife, Kavya Rana, 22, in a fit of rage, leading to her slitting her husband’s throat.

According to the landlord, the accused had alleged instances of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband.

“I had asked her to figure the matter out and meet with the family of the two as well, so that I could work as a mediator between them. However, when I tried to call Sachin, his phone was switched off. It happened on multiple occasions,” he said.

The couple were originally from Baghpat in Uttar Pradesh and had moved to Uttam Nagar Delhi after their love marriage, taking up residence in the first-floor flat in Uttam Nagar.

With each day, their love turned sour as, according to the tenants, they would hear continuous bickering and fights between the couple, and each day the fights would get more intense.

Reshma Singh, a tenant at the apartment, said that she had heard screams and cries coming from the house on an occasional basis.

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“Frequently, the duo would engage in fights over the simplest of issues. Since the walls are pretty thin, it was easy to gauge what they were fighting about. Sometimes her wail would fill the entire building,” she said.

Another tenant, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the couple had once fought to such an extent that they could hear the clanging of falling utensils. “I heard chairs fall, utensils clang onto the floor, and it was a routine for an entire week until eventually it stopped. Although, the screams were never far behind.”

Stating that the man had been killed on August 17-18, the police officials highlighted that the deceased’s body was recovered in a decomposed state. The body was recovered on August 20, Tuesday.

A tenant on another floor had flagged the landlord about a strong stench that had filled up her apartment while she was finishing some work. The landlord had also noticed a strong stench emanating from Sachin and Kavya’s flat, although the door was locked.

“I called the police since the scenario surrounding the flat being locked with the strong stench was too suspicious to neglect. I told them that I could not find Kavya anywhere, either,” he said.

The CCTV footage was crucial in solving the case. On August 17, around 8 pm, Kavya is seen coming downstairs after her husband returned from work. The landlord mentioned that at 1 am, they locked the main gate, but Kavya woke them up, asking to go out to collect medicine for her husband. She returned shortly afterward. At 4 am, the footage shows Kavya leaving the house again, this time checking the surroundings before sneaking in with a man whose face and body were covered in cloth. He left around 8 am, and an hour later, Kavya, dressed well and carrying a large bag, also left the building.

On August 19, Kavya returned to the building alongside two other individuals. She told the landlord that Sachin had assaulted her on August 18.

The deceased has been identified as a home loan recovery agent, while Kavya used to work as a homemaker.

Reportedly, according to Dwarka Deputy Commissioner of Police Ankit Singh, “Rana was fatally stabbed, with wounds visible in his neck area. His body was swollen and was discovered approximately 48 hours after the murder. We are awaiting the post-mortem report.”

Presently, a case of murder has been registered against Kavya under Section 103 (Murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Police are reviewing the events through CCTV footage and interrogating the accused while ascertaining the identity of any associate involved.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, there were 4,847 cases registered under Section 498A (Cruelty by husband or his relatives) in 2022. On the other hand, in 2021, there were 4,674 cases under the same section recorded.

Delhi has consistently led the charts among all major cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, etc.