Two months after woman’s death, no trace of husband, in-laws

Noida: Nearly 50 days after 23-year-old Rupa Kumari was pushed to death from the fifth floor of an apartment building in Phase II area, her family is running pillar-to-post seeking the arrest of the accused, her husband and in-laws.

TOI had reported on April 26 how the woman was pushed to death by her drunk husband, Vijay Shanker (27) in front of her sister Nidhi Kumari (18) on April 20.

While an FIR has been lodged against Shanker, his mother, father and sister under the Dowry Prohibition Act, the family has asked why none has been arrested so far, though Shanker was last seen at Yatharth hospital in Noida’s Sector 110 where Rupa was admitted a day after the incident.

The victim’s family said that Shanker did not even take her to the hospital and it was their neighbours who took her to hospital around 11 pm on April 20 though she was declared brought dead.

Shanker, who works as a fashion designer with a private company in Noida’s phase II, had allegedly filed a fake case with the police claiming that his wife died after slipping from the balcony while filling water in the cooler. Noida police have sought the assistance of Samastipur police in the case as the victim’s in-laws belong to the town in Bihar.

“I met the former SP (city) Dinesh Yadav in May, after a meeting with circle officer III Sandeep Singh, who is handling the case. Both have promised to take action and Singh has also forwarded a letter to Samastipur police saying that if the accused are present in the town, they be arrested and Noida police should be informed,” Rupa’s younger brother Saurav Kumar said.

The Samastipur police have assured the family to help nab the accused. “The SP has promised to help and has forwarded the matter to the concerned Hasanpur police station,” said Aniket Kumar, Rupa’s cousin who filed the complaint.

However, the case has been swinging between police stations, failing any legitimate action.

Shavez Khan, SHO, Phase II, said that since the police station does not have a woman police officer, the case would most likely be transferred to the woman police station in Sector 39. However, when contacted, Anju Teotia, SHO, women police station, said: “Since the case has Section 304B too, it will be handled by the circle officer concerned. We have not been asked to look into the case,” she said. Circle Officer III Sandeep Singh did not respond to messages or calls from TOI.


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