Husband, mother-in-law held under dowry charges for woman’s death

LUCKNOW: Hazratganj police arrested on Friday a commercial tax deputy commissioner and his mother in connection with the death of a woman whose body was found under mysterious circumstances. On Thursday night, wife of Deep Ratan died after falling from the 14th floor of a residential multi-storey apartment (close to Bahukhandi Mantri Awas) in Hazratganj.
Ratan and his mother Anuradha were arrested with the assistance of surveillance cell and nabbed from 1090 crossing while trying to flee, said police.Hazratganj police station inspector D K Upadhayay said that the mother-son duo was arrested on a complaint lodged by Kiran, mother of the deceased woman Namrata, under charges of dowry death.
Hazratganj police circle officer Avanish Mishra said autopsy confirmed anti-mortem injuries, around 10, on her stomach, neck, belly head and rib cage. “We have not scanned CCTV footage yet call detail records of the couple’s phones are being compiled,” said police.
In his statement to the police, Deep Ratan pleaded innocence and said, “I had been staying with my mother at a different address in Gomtinagar since February 1.” He added that around 4:30pm on Thursday, Namrata called him many times but he could not take her call as he was sleeping. Later, he got a call from him friend who informed him that she was dead. For the fear of being charged, he was trying to escape, he told police.
“My wife Namrata was suffering from mental illness and used to beat my mother with slippers and she had gone to reside with her in-laws on February 1,” said Deep Ratan. His mother said when Deep and Namrata’s marriage was arranged, nobody from her family told them about her illness.
Police said as per law, if a woman dies suspiciously within seven years of marriage, her husband and family members are liable to be sent to jail. Meanwhile, Namrata’s father R N Paswan told media persons that signs of torture were visible on her face and body and due to consistent torture by her husband only she was forced to take medication, she was unable to sleep and eat.