New Delhi: A 32-year-old woman was allegedly killed after her husband attacked her with a small LPG cylinder during a domestic dispute in southeast Delhi’s Pul Prahladpur area, police said on Monday.
The victim has been identified as Poonam, while the accused, Suresh Kumar, has been arrested following the incident that took place at their residence in DDA Janta Flats, they said.
According to the police, the couple got married in 2020 and had recently shifted to Delhi from Rajasthan’s Churu district about a month ago.
“The incident came to light after neighbours alerted authorities upon hearing screams from the house. A police team rushed to the spot and found Poonam lying critically injured. She was immediately shifted to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southeast) Hemant Tiwari said.
Initial investigation suggests that the couple had an argument over financial support for the husband’s brother, which escalated into a violent altercation.
During the fight, Kumar picked up a small LPG cylinder and struck his wife multiple times, resulting in fatal injuries, police said.
The couple has two daughters -- a four-year-old who currently lives with grandparents in Churu, and another aged around one-and-a-half years who was present at the house at the time of the incident, the officer said.
Neighbours of the family said the disturbance escalated unusually fast.
“We heard loud shouting at first, like a routine argument, but within minutes it turned into screams for help. Then there was a heavy thud, like something large hitting repeatedly. That’s when we rushed out and called the police,” a neighbour said.
She further said that by the time she stepped out, a crowd had gathered outside the house, and there was blood near the entrance. The couple’s toddler was crying.
Police have taken the accused into custody and registered a case of murder. The crime scene has been secured, and forensic teams have inspected the spot.
Another neighbour, who had seen the couple earlier in the day, said the family appeared reserved but normal.
“They looked like a normal family. She was often seen carrying the younger child in the corridor. They weren’t very talkative. The couple has a small child… who will take care of the baby now?” she said.
Additionally, investigators are also examining the couple’s background and questioning neighbours and relatives to establish the sequence of events leading up to the murder. The body has been sent for postmortem.