Delhi: Woman found dead beside injured live-in partner, domestic violence case suspected

The woman was killed minutes after she told her father over the phone about a fight with her partner and said he was attacking her with a knife.

A 26-year-old woman was found dead in south Delhi’s Munirka village with her live-in partner, a 30-year-old man, found unconscious and with neck injuries next to her, in what police suspect to be a case of murder-suicide. The man is in critical condition and undergoing treatment at the AIIMS trauma centre.

Police said that the family of the woman told them that the couple had frequent fights, especially over financial issues. (Representational image)

According to police, the woman was killed minutes after she told her father over the phone about a fight with her partner and said he was attacking her with a knife. Police have said it appears to be a case of “domestic violence”. Both the man and woman belong to Manipur.

On Sunday night, the woman’s body was found in the bathroom of the rented room with injuries to her neck and her partner, unconscious and bleeding from injuries on his neck, lying next to her.

The man, who runs a grocery shop in the Munirka village, was rushed to the AIIMS trauma centre, where he is undergoing treatment. His condition was said to be critical and he was being kept on ventilator support, police said.

Neighbours believed the couple to be married but the police did not find any documents, including a marriage certificate, to confirm this fact.

Although police are still probing the exact sequence of events, at least two officers aware of the matter said they suspect that the man killed the woman with the knife and them attempted to kill himself with the same weapon. In support of the murder-suicide theory, officers said, the room as well as the bathroom were found to have been bolted from the inside at the time of the incident. The knife used in the incident was also found on the bathroom floor.

The woman, working as a beautician at a leading beauty retail outlet, was from Senapati in Manipur, while the man was a permanent resident of Bishnupur. The two had been living together in the rented room for the past three years, said deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Amit Goel.

DCP Goel said that, on Sunday, around 9 pm, the Kishangarh police station received a call from the landlady’s daughter regarding a quarrel between the couple in Munirka village. This was after the victim’s father called the landlady to check on the situation.

A police team immediately reached the spot.

“The main door of the room was found locked from inside. When the couple did not respond despite repeated knocking, the personnel forcefully opened the door and went inside the room. They found the bathroom door also locked from inside. It was also opened using force,” said the DCP.

“Inside the bathroom, a woman and a man were found lying unconscious on the floor and bleeding from their necks. They were rushed to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where the woman was declared dead by the attending doctor. The injured man is undergoing treatment.”

Police further said that the family of the woman told them that the couple had frequent fights, especially over financial issues.

After the murder, locals, many from the same community, gathered outside the couple’s house and demanded justice for the woman.