The mystery death of a 28-year-old newlywed woman in South Delhi’s Lodhi Colony has sparked allegations of dowry harassment and murder by her family. This is the third such case to make headlines within the last couple of months. The deaths of 33-year-old Twisha Sharma in Bhopal and 22-year-old Deepika Nagar in Greater Noida, coming on the heels of each other — had sparked national outrage.
While police say they are examining all possible angles, Akriti Sutar’s family has insisted that she has been murdered and there is no question of suicide, as her husband’s family has suggested.
Last evening, Akriti, a resident of Pushp Vihar, was found critically injured after an alleged fall from the third floor of the NDMC Flats at Palika Kunj in Delhi’s Lodhi Colony. The place was around 10 km from her marital home and it is not yet known why she had gone there.
She was found lying on the ground by the residents who called in the police. There was no blood on the ground though her body bore bruises and other injuries. She was immediately taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where doctors declared her dead.
Anant Mittal, a senior officer of the south Delhi police, said the woman was found injured after an alleged fall from the residential complex.
“Proceedings under Section 196 BNSS (Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023) have been initiated and the Sub Divisional Magistrate has been informed for inquest proceedings. However, all aspects of the incident are being verified. The inquiry is in progress,” he said. A postmortem examination is in progress.
According to the police, Akriti Sutar – who was working as a Sales Executive with a private company in Chhatarpur — had married Arastu Sikka on April 24. The two knew each other for eight years. A relative said it was a love match. Akriti was a friend of had first become friends with Arastu’s sister, Agastika Sikka, before developing a relationship with Arastu.
Sikka is currently unemployed. His father is a government servant but he never divulges any details regarding his work.
Akriti’s family has rejected the possibility of suicide and alleged that she was murdered over dowry demands. They claimed that Arastu Sikka and his family have been demanding Rs 20 lakh and had subjected Akriti to repeated harassment and threats since the marriage.
Her 24-year-old brother Amay Sutar has claimed that she is mentally strong and would have never taken her own life. The family also claimed that Arastu had threatened to kill her on multiple occasions and that the couple had a serious argument just two days before her death.
While narrating the events, Akriti’s uncle Mananjay Sutar said: “Akriti had spoken to her mother around 6 pm on Saturday – hours before her death. She had said that she had left office for the day and was on way home. Around 8 pm, the family received a call from Arastu saying Akriti was missing. Nearly 90 minutes later, the police informed them that a woman’s body had been found at Palika Kunj.”
The family has questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident, pointing out that the building where Akriti’s body was found is largely unoccupied.
They further claimed that no bloodstains were found at the scene, leading them to suspect that the crime had been carefully planned. The postmortem report, they said, will be crucial in establishing the exact cause of death.
According to the family, Akriti had resumed work on July 1 after taking leave for her wedding and had even hosted a small party for her colleagues on Saturday. “If she was unhappy or planning to end her life, why would she celebrate her return to work?” her uncle said, questioning the suicide theory.
