Newlywed woman found dead in bed box in Delhi; husband on the run

A 28-year-old newlywed woman was found stuffed inside a bed box in a rented room in Nabi Karim area of central Delhi, police said on Tuesday, adding that her husband remains absconding.

The police said the absconding husband is now the prime suspect, as an allegation of dowry harassment had also surfaced.

The incident came to light on the night of May 8 when police received a PCR call from a landlord in the Laxmanpuri area about a foul smell emanating from a tenant’s room, police said.

“A police team rushed to the spot and found the decomposed body of the woman lying on a bed inside the room. The deceased is a native of Haldwani in Uttarakhand, aged around 28 years,” a senior police officer said.

During an inquiry, police learnt that the woman had married Mohammad Ejaz, a resident of Vaishali district in Bihar, on April 26, and the couple moved into the Laxminagar house shortly after the marriage.

Police said both the victim and the accused belonged to the same community and had recently started living together in the Nabi Karim area.

“The husband was missing from the room when the body was recovered. He has not been arrested so far. An FIR was registered at Nabi Karim police station, and an investigation has been initiated,” the officer added.

During the probe, the woman’s father levelled allegations of dowry harassment against Ejaz and his brother Sarfaraz, police said.

Following the allegations, Sarfaraz was arrested, while teams are conducting raids to trace Ejaz.

Police said multiple teams have been formed and are examining CCTV footage to reconstruct the couple’s movements in the days leading up to the woman’s death.

According to police sources, the couple’s documents are being verified, along with the identification submitted to the landlord at the time of taking the accommodation.

Police said technical surveillance and local intelligence inputs are also being used to track the accused.

Also Read: Crime against women highest in Delhi; 13,396 cases in 2024: NCRB

“Raids are being conducted at several locations linked to the accused, including his relatives’ houses and native place,” the officer said.

Family members of both the deceased woman and the accused are being questioned to ascertain the sequence of events after the marriage and to verify claims related to alleged dowry harassment, he added.

Police sources said investigators have obtained some important leads regarding the movements and possible hideouts of the accused, and expressed confidence that he would be arrested soon.