A 30-year-old woman allegedly poisoned her two children and then hanged herself to death at her residence in East Delhi’s Shakarpur area on Thursday night. Later, the woman’s husband and brother-in-law were arrested on charges of dowry harassment and subjecting the woman to cruelty
among several other allegations, based on a complaint filed by the woman’s brother.
The woman was identified as Neetu Singh (30), who was married to a software developer working at a company in Gurgaon.
On Thursday night, Neetu allegedly killed her sons — <g data-gr-id="40">Tanik</g> (5) and Ryan (2) — after making them consume some poisonous substance and then hanged herself to death from a ceiling fan, said a senior police official. He further said, the bodies were discovered by Neetu’s husband, Rahul Thakur, and brother-in-law, Rajesh, who called up the police at around 11.10 pm. Neetu and Rahul were married since November 2008 and some neighbours reported that they often fought with each other. However, those claims are yet to be verified.
Things took an ugly turn when Neetu’s brother approached the police and claimed that Thakur was involved in an illicit relationship with a relative and allegedly subjected Neetu to cruelty. Thakur also allegedly stopped paying for her expenses when she discovered the alleged affair and started questioning him. This reportedly forced Neetu to take up a job.
Neetu’s brother also alleged dowry harassment and said that this was a case of murder which was allegedly being orchestrated like a suicide and alleged almost the entire family of her in-laws to have played a part in the incident.
A complaint was registered at the Shakarpur police station, which eventually led to the filing of an FIR, with charges under Sections 498A (for husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 304B (cruelty or harassment inflicted to a woman by the husband on any of his relative), 306 (Abetment of suicide), 506 (Criminal intimidation) and 302 (murder) of the IPC against several persons.
On Friday, the police arrested Rahul and Rajesh Thakur for alleged dowry harassment and subjecting Neetu to severe cruelty.
Further investigation of the case is underway and the alleged roles of other family members are being probed, said Sanjay <g data-gr-id="28">Benniwal</g>, Joint Commissioner of Police (eastern range).