Delhi Man Takes Wife To Maha Kumbh, Slits Her Throat At Hotel To Hide Affair

Investigations revealed that the woman had travelled from New Delhi to Prayagraj with her husband on the night of February 18.

23 Feb 2025, 10:16 · www.ndtv.com

New Delhi:

A couple from Delhi's Trilokpuri arrived in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj to witness the Mahakumbh festival. The husband, dutifully recording videos and snapping photos of their time together, sent them home to their children, painting a picture of a happy trip. They checked into a modest homestay to spend the night but by morning, the wife's blood-soaked body lay sprawled across the room.

It took the Prayagraj Commissionerate Police 48 hours to crack the case and arrest the husband for the brutal killing of his wife in the Jhunsi area of the city on the night of February 18.

What Happened

On the morning of February 19, the Prayagraj police received information about the discovery of the blood-soaked body of a 40-year-old woman in the bathroom of a homestay in Azad Nagar Colony, under the jurisdiction of the Jhunsi police station. The property was being used as a guesthouse for pilgrims attending the Mahakumbh festival. Upon reaching the crime scene, police found that the woman's throat had been slit with a sharp weapon.

Initial investigations revealed that the woman had arrived at the homestay the previous night with a man, identifying themselves as husband and wife. The manager of the homestay allotted them a room without verifying their identity or collecting any proof of identification. The following morning, the manager discovered the horrific scene in the bathroom and immediately informed the police.

How The Crime Was Solved

Investigations revealed that the woman had travelled from New Delhi to Prayagraj with her husband on the night of February 18. The woman's photograph was widely circulated on social media platforms and published in newspapers. On February 21, this strategy bore fruit when the woman's relatives came forward to identify her.

The victim was identified as Meenakshi, wife of Ashok Kumar, a resident of Trilokpuri in the national capital. Her brother, Pravesh Kumar, along with her two sons, Ashwani and Adarsh, travelled to Prayagraj upon seeing the published photographs. At the Jhunsi police station, they confirmed her identity.

The police registered a case against Ashok Kumar before tracking him down and arresting him.

An Extra-Marital Affair

During interrogation, Ashok Kumar confessed to the crime. He revealed that he had been plotting his wife's murder for three months. A sanitation worker residing in East Delhi's Trilokpuri, Ashok was reportedly involved in an extramarital affair. To eliminate his wife and pursue his illicit relationship, he devised an elaborate ruse.

On February 17, Ashok left Delhi with Meenakshi under the pretence of undertaking a Mahakumbh pilgrimage. The next day, the couple reached Jhunsi and booked a room in a homestay. As night fell, an argument erupted between the two. When Meenakshi went into the bathroom, Ashok seized the moment, attacking her from behind and slitting her throat with a knife. He then changed out of his blood-stained clothes, wrapped the murder weapon in them, and discreetly disposed of the evidence.

To create an alibi, Ashok later called his son Ashish and falsely claimed that Meenakshi had gone missing in the crowded fair. Feigning concern, he told his children that he had searched for her but was unable to find her.

The Truth Unravels

Suspicious of his father's explanation, Meenakshi's son Ashwin took matters into his own hands. On February 20, the family arrived at the Mahakumbh with their mother's photograph and began searching for her while the police continued to gather evidence, examining CCTV footage from the area where the body was found.

On February 18, just a day before the murder, Ashok uploaded a video of himself and Meenakshi on social media, showing them taking a sacred dip.

Surveillance footage and forensic reports, combined with Ashok's conflicting statements, led to his arrest.

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