Srinagar, Jan 28: Jammu and Kashmir police Friday said it solved a murder case involving murder of a wife by her husband in Ramban district.

“On 23 Jan, 2022 an information was received telephonically from Sarpanch Panchayat Halqa Thopal that one lady namely Nishu Devi wife of Pawan Kumar, Caste Gaddi, age about 23 years, resident of Pasyal Dharalta, Batote have committed suicide by hanging herself in her house”, said a police spokesperson in a statement.

“As the death occurred in suspicious circumstances, inquest proceedings U/S 174 CrPC vide DDR No 04 dated 23-01-2022 was initiated in PS Batote to ascertain the actual cause of the death and police party was immediately sent to the crime scene”, the statement reads adding On reaching there they took the dead body of the deceased in Police custody for Post Mortem.

“Post Mortem of the deceased was conducted by a board of Doctors which was requisitioned by the Enquiry Officer (EO) in District Hospital Ramban. After Post Mortem, dead body was handed over to the legal heirs for last rites. During the course of enquiry, parents of the deceased alleged that their daughter has been murdered by her in-laws as she was already being harassed and tortured by her husband and in-laws since marriage.”

“During sustained questioning, the husband of the deceased, Pawan Kumar, confessed that he had murdered his wife by strangulating her. And then in order to mislead the police, he hung her so that the death looks like suicide. On his confession, the inquest proceedings were closed and converted into FIR. And so an FIR No 11/2022 U/S 302, 109 IPC was registered in Police Station Batote and investigation initiated”, reads the statement.

“Police team headed by SHO PS Batote visited the Scene of Crime, collected evidence and recorded the statements of witnesses U/S 161 CrPC. Both accused, namely Pawan Kumar and his mother Simla Devi were immediately arrested.”

The overall arrests and enquiry was conducted by SHO Batote, Inspector Ajeet Singh under supervision of DySP Hqrs Ramban, Pardeep Singh Sen under overall supervision and guidance of SP Ramban, Mohita Sharma”, the statement concludes.