Woman found dead at home; family alleges murder, harassment by hubby,in-laws

Raipur: A 28-year-old married woman was found dead under suspicious circumstances inside her home in Bilaspur on Wednesday, with her family alleging she was murdered by her husband and in-laws, while police said the exact cause of death would be known only after the post-mortem and forensic examination.The deceased, identified as Aditi Maurya, was a native of Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh and had married in 2019.According to police, Aditi was found hanging when officers reached the house in the City Kotwali police station area. The body was sent for post-mortem, and a forensic team examined the scene and collected evidence, including her mobile phone.Aditi’s family has accused her husband, Ravikant Maurya, and his relatives of physically and mentally harassing her.

They alleged she had complained about repeated assaults and had recently informed her sister about her husband’s objectionable behaviour by sharing screenshots and videos from his mobile phone. The family also claimed they noticed injury marks on her body and have demanded that the case be treated as murder.The husband told police that he was sleeping upstairs with their 13-month-old daughter while Aditi was downstairs.

He claimed she attempted to hang herself using a silk saree and fell after the noose came loose.Additional SP Pankaj Patel told TOI, the post-mortem has given a provisional opinion suggesting suicide by hanging, but the final medical opinion is awaited. “Visibly dark patches seen on the body are consistent with post-mortem lividity and not necessarily external injuries. Samples have been preserved for chemical analysis and forensic evidence has been collected from the spot,” Patel said.Police have registered a case of unnatural death and are investigating all possible angles. “The allegations of murder, marital harassment and the claim of an extramarital relationship will all be examined. Statements of both families will be recorded and the deceased’s mobile phone will be analysed as part of the investigation,” the officer said.