New Delhi: The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch has arrested a cotton factory manager for allegedly strangling his 25-year-old wife and staging the scene as a suicide, following marital discord.
The accused, identified as Narottam Prashad, a resident of Sikar, Rajasthan, was apprehended from Chhota Udaipur, Vadodara (Gujarat) after a meticulous operation led by Inspector Manmeet Malik under the supervision of ACP Ramesh Chander. A reward of Rs 10,000 had been announced for his capture.
According to police, the case dates back to May 31, 2010, when a PCR call was received at Mahendra Park Police Station about a foul smell emanating from a locked house in Jahangir Puri, Delhi. On breaking open the door, officers found the partially decomposed body of a 25-year-old woman lying on the floor.
A purported suicide note was recovered from the scene. However, forensic and circumstantial evidence later cast doubt on its authenticity, leading investigators to suspect the victim’s husband. Before he could be arrested, Prashad fled Delhi and was subsequently declared a proclaimed offender. His whereabouts remained unknown for over a decade.
Acting on fresh intelligence received on November 4, a team comprising SI Jai Kumar, SI Ritesh Kumar, SI Rajeev and ASI Krishan Pal was dispatched to Gujarat. Through a combination of technical surveillance and manual intelligence, the team traced and arrested Prashad on November 5 in
Vadodara district.
During interrogation, Prashad confessed to strangling his wife following frequent marital disputes and planting a fake suicide note to mislead investigators. An MBA graduate, he had lived under a false identity in Gujarat for years, working as a cotton factory manager.