A man was arrested after he confessed to strangling his 24-year-old wife over suspected infidelity, and she was found dead in a Delhi hotel room, news agency PTI reported on Saturday, citing officials.
The accused, 24-year-old Gopal Sharma, fled to his hometown in Mathura, where he was apprehended by local authorities and later handed over to Delhi Police.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (central) Nidhin Valsan said that around 3 am on Saturday, Mathura’s Highway Police Station contacted the manager of New Victoria Hotel in Delhi’s Paharganj area, asking him to check a specific room based on information shared by Gopal.
When hotel manager Prem Kumar inspected the room, he found the woman lying unresponsive on the bed. He immediately alerted the police, who arrived at the scene and confirmed that she had been strangled, the DCP added.
What did the initial investigation reveal?
According to the initial probe, Gopal and his wife Kriti Sharma checked into the hotel at 6.35 pm on June 20. Around 9 pm, Gopal left the hotel alone, telling the staff he was stepping out to get food, the DCP said.
But instead of returning, he fled to Mathura, police said.
“Later, from Mathura, Gopal made a distress call to the 112 emergency number and claimed that he had killed his wife. Acting on the information, Mathura police traced him and detained him at the Highway Police Station. They subsequently alerted Delhi Police,” the DCP added.
Gopal was then handed over to the Paharganj police station of Delhi Police, where he was formally taken into custody.
During questioning, Gopal admitted to the killing, saying he suspected his wife of cheating on him, which sparked a heated altercation. In a fit of anger, he strangled Kriti to death, police said.
The reason why the couple, who lived in Mathura, travelled to Delhi is still unclear.
Police said a murder case has been registered, the body sent for post-mortem, and efforts are on to reach her family.
(With PTI inputs)
