'He beat her with a belt': Bride dies 72 days after wedding, husband arrested in dowry case
Akriti Sutar, a 28-year-old sales executive, died just 72 days after her wedding, prompting Delhi Police to arrest her husband, Arastu Sikka, in connection with a dowry harassment case as investigators continue to probe the circumstances surrounding her death.
Akriti was found critically injured after allegedly falling from a residential building in Delhi's Lodhi Colony on July 4. She was rushed to AIIMS, where doctors declared her brought dead.
While police suspect she fell from the building, the exact sequence of events leading to her death is yet to be established.
The case took a significant turn after Akriti's mother accused her husband and his family of subjecting her daughter to sustained physical, mental and financial harassment since her marriage on April 24.
Based on her complaint, police registered a dowry harassment case and arrested Arastu Sikka.
According to the complaint, Akriti had informed her in-laws before marriage that she wished to continue working to support her younger brother.
Her family alleges that despite initially agreeing, her husband and in-laws later pressured her to quit her job, repeatedly insisted that she become pregnant, and restricted her interactions with her maternal family.
The complaint also alleges that Akriti was assaulted on multiple occasions and had shared her fears with her mother, claiming that her husband could kill her.
Her family has further alleged that the accused demanded ₹20 lakh as dowry, an allegation that forms part of the ongoing investigation.
Police are examining CCTV footage, forensic evidence and witness statements to reconstruct Akriti's final movements.
Investigators are also awaiting the post-mortem report to determine whether any injuries were sustained before the alleged fall and to establish the precise cause of death.
Officials have maintained that all angles are being investigated, including the allegations levelled by the victim's family.
No conclusions have yet been reached regarding the manner of Akriti's death, and the investigation remains underway.