Akriti Sutar: Police Probe Newlywed’s Death Amid Dowry Allegations
Family alleges dowry harassment and murder after 28-year-old woman was found dead in Delhi, while police continue to investigate all possible angles.
Police investigate the death of newlywed Akriti Sutar in Delhi following allegations of dowry harassment.
Akriti Sutar, a 28-year-old newlywed, was found dead in South Delhi’s Lodhi Colony, prompting a police investigation after her family alleged she was murdered over dowry demands.
Police said Akriti was discovered critically injured on Saturday evening after an alleged fall from the third floor of the NDMC Flats at Palika Kunj. Residents alerted authorities, and she was taken to the AIIMS Trauma Centre, where doctors declared her dead.
Investigators said the incident occurred about 10 kilometres from her marital home, and officers are working to determine why she was at the location. Police also noted there were no visible bloodstains at the scene, although the body had multiple injuries and bruises.
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Authorities have initiated inquest proceedings under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, and said a postmortem examination will help establish the exact cause of death. Police added that all possible angles, including suicide and foul play, remain under investigation.
Akriti married Arastu Sikka on April 24 after an eight-year relationship. According to family members, the marriage was a love marriage, and the couple had known each other for several years before tying the knot.
Her family has strongly rejected the possibility of suicide and accused her husband and his relatives of demanding ?20 lakh in dowry. They alleged that Akriti faced repeated harassment and threats after the marriage.
Her brother, Amay Sutar, described her as mentally strong and said she would not have taken her own life. Family members also claimed the couple had a serious argument two days before her death.
According to her uncle, Mananjay Sutar, Akriti spoke to her mother shortly before leaving work on Saturday evening. Later that night, her husband reportedly informed the family that she was missing, before police contacted them to say a woman’s body had been found at Palika Kunj.
The family has also questioned the circumstances surrounding the incident, pointing to the largely unoccupied building where her body was discovered and the reported absence of blood at the scene. They argue these details raise questions about whether she died at that location.
Police said the investigation remains ongoing, and further action will depend on the findings of the postmortem report and other forensic evidence.
