New Delhi, Oct 28 A Delhi court has convicted a man of murdering his estranged wife by strangulating her with a chunni (a long scarf) but acquitted him and his mother of dowry death and cruelty charges, saying that the allegations of dowry-related harassment were not sufficiently established.
Principal District and Sessions Judge Sanjay Garg was hearing the case against Aman, who was accused of murdering his wife Rashmi alias Reshma. Aman and his mother, Sangeeta, were also accused of charges under BNS Sections 80 and 85, which deal with dowry death and cruelty by a husband or his relatives.
In an order dated October 27, the court said, "The suspicion harboured by accused Aman regarding the character of the deceased was the main cause of marital discord between them. Thus, the possibility that the allegations of dowry-related cruelty were introduced as an afterthought following the death of the deceased Rashmi cannot be ruled out."
According to the prosecution, Rashmi was living with her mother and infant daughter at a rented accommodation in northeast Delhi's Nand Nagri when Aman visited her on February 25, 2025.
The prosecution alleged that he strangled Rashmi with a chunni following a quarrel and later went to a police station with their infant daughter.
The court noted that the post-mortem report established that Rashmi died due to ligature strangulation and that the injury was sufficient to cause death in the ordinary course of nature.
There was no eyewitness to the murder, and the prosecution relied on circumstantial evidence.
On the dowry-related charges, the court said the testimonies of Rashmi's family members contained general allegations of harassment over demands for a motorcycle and Rs 1.5 lakh but lacked specific particulars and material corroboration.
It noted that the evidence indicated Aman's suspicion about Rashmi having an extramarital affair was the main cause of marital discord between them.
The court said the possibility that the dowry-related allegations were introduced as an afterthought following Rashmi's death could not be ruled out.
It accordingly acquitted Aman and Sangeeta of the charges of dowry death and cruelty.
