- Delhi Police registered a dowry harassment case after Akriti Sutar's death and arrested her husband.
- Akriti fell from a building in Lodhi Colony 72 days after marrying Arastu Sikka.
- Her mother alleged harassment, abuse, and dowry demands of Rs 20 lakh by in-laws.
Delhi Police have registered a dowry harassment case in connection with the death of 28-year-old Akriti Sutar and have arrested her husband, Arastu Sikka, officials said on Monday. Married for just 72 days, Sutar died after falling from a building in Delhi's Lodhi Colony area on Saturday evening.
Police, in the first information report (FIR), said that Akriti was found injured after an alleged fall from NDMC Flats in Palika Kunj on July 4 in the jurisdiction of the Lodhi Colony police station. She was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, where doctors declared her brought dead.
Her mother, Anu Say Sutar, in her complaint to the police, has alleged that her daughter was murdered by her husband and in-laws.
What Her Mother Said In Complaint
Akriti, who worked as a sales executive in Chhatarpur, got married to Arustu Sikka, the brother of her childhood friend, Augustika, on April 24, 2026, less than three months before her death. She died the day she returned to her work after marriage.
In her complaint, Akriti's mother said her husband, Arustu, and his sister, Augustika, along with other members of their family, were pressuring her newly married woman into quitting her job and bearing a child. She alleged that Akriti had been subjected to continuous harassment over dowry since her marriage.
"Akriti met her husband Arastu through her sister Augustika, who was Akriti's school friend. The couple dated for two years before the love-cum-arranged marriage this year. Before marriage, Aakriti clearly told her in-laws that she would continue her job even after marriage because her brother Deepu is very young and she wants to support him financially," the complaint, accessed by NDTV, read.
Anu Say Sutar said that the groom's family had agreed to Akriti's terms and gave assurance that she would be free to meet her mother and brother after marriage.
"We agreed to the marriage on the basis of these assurances," she said.
She further alleged that Arastu's behaviour completely changed after marriage. "When my daughter tried to return to her job, she was told to quit it. When she requested to continue working, the family tried to create difficulties between her job and household chores so that she would be forced to quit her work on her own," the complaint said.
Anu Say Sutar alleged that Akriti was also abused for calling her or coming to her maternal house. "Moreover, Arastu and Augustika were also forcing my daughter to get pregnant, and she was also being physically and mentally tortured," the complaint said.
On June 17, Akriti reportedly told her mother on a call that Arastu had beaten her with a "belt" because her phone was silent and she missed a call from him while he was out. "Arastu used to accuse her of having illicit relations with some other person and claimed that is why she keeps her phone silent purposefully," she said.
On June 29, the complaint said that Akriti has shared with her mother that her husband might kill her. She said that if her mother went to their village, she was scared she would be left alone and Arastu might beat her again.
"On the same day, Arastu again assaulted her because he refused to eat the food she cooked. When my daughter declined to reheat the food, he again assaulted her," the mother claimed.
According to the complaint, after this fight, Akriti went to her friend and sister-in-law Augustika's house in the Devli area of Delhi to complain against her husband. Arastu also came there to further assault her, but Augustika and her husband Ankit Tushir pacified the situation and reconciled the differences.
Akriti reportedly returned to her husband's house with him after that.
Anu Say Sutar claimed that on July 3, she called Arastu's father, asking him to intervene in their children's domestic troubles. On the phone, Arastu's father reportedly told him he was unaware of his son's behaviour despite living in the same house. He tried to scold his son, but Arastu started abusing him in return and blamed Akriti for the fiasco.
"Right after that, my daughter called me, saying, 'Why did I involve her in-laws in the matter? Because now Arastu was threatening to get her brother fired from his job and get him beaten up. After that, Augustika also called me to warn me that I should not interfere in their family matter, as Akriti was brought to their house to do household chores and cook for her husband, and any agreement about continuing the job was not official," the complaint read.
According to Anu Say Sutar, on the morning of July 4, Akriti called her to inform her that she left for her work and her phone was off after that.
"At night, Augustika called me and accused me of hiding my daughter at home. I refused, saying, "Why would I do that?" Arastu also shouted at me and accused me of hiding my daughter. He also accused her of running away with someone else. He also scolded me for telling his father about him assaulting Akriti," she added.
The family got to know at around 9-10 pm, when a police official from the Lodhi Colony police station answered Akriti's phone and told the family to come to the police station.
Rs 20 Lakh Dowry Demand
Talking to NDTV, Akriti's mother and her uncle Mananjay Sutar said that the family had spent Rs 7 to 8 lakh on her marriage. They also claimed that her husband and his relatives had been demanding Rs 20 lakh and had repeatedly threatened and mistreated her.
"My daughter's in-laws were constantly demanding dowry. They were demanding Rs 20 lakh. My daughter was very strong. She can not commit suicide. This is not suicide. This is a preplanned murder. They killed my daughter," the mother said.
Her younger brother, Amay Sutar, also firmly rejected the possibility of suicide, stating that Akriti was mentally strong and would never have taken such an extreme step.
The FIR
According to the complaint, Arastu's family lived in Pushp Vihar. Akriti's body was found inside a residential society in Lodhi Colony, around 10 kilometers from her residence. Police suspect that she fell from the building, but the exact cause and circumstances of her death are yet to be established.
Delhi Police said proceedings under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been initiated, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) has been informed for inquest proceedings. They also said that the investigation is continuing and that all possible angles, including the allegations made by the victim's family, are being thoroughly examined.
The initial police investigation showed that Akriti's body had a deformity of the left distal arm with a laceration over the dorsal aspect. She also had a deformity involving the left thigh. However, it was not clear if these injuries were inflicted during her fall or before that. Her autopsy is also being performed.
Police are examining the CCTV footage to ascertain whether anyone accompanied Akriti to the Palika Kunj Apartments in Delhi's Lodhi Colony or whether she had arrived there alone.
