'Dowry, Belt Beatings': Delhi Woman's Mother On 72-Day Marriage Before Death

Arastu Sikka -- the husband of the 28-year-old woman found dead under mysterious circumstances in Delhi's Lodhi Colony - has been arrested and a dowry case has been filed, officials said on Monday. Married for just 72 days, Sutar was found dead on Saturday evening at a housing complex that's 10 km away from her home. The police suspect she had fallen from the three-storied building. A postmortem examination is in progress. 

In its First Information Report or FIR, the Delhi Police said Akriti was found lying on the ground, injured, at the NDMC flats in Palika Kunj. She was taken to the Trauma Section of the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.

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. Just 72 days later, she died. She had joined work on Saturday and had hosted a party for her colleagues.

In her complaint to the police, her mother Anu Say Sutar has alleged that her daughter was murdered by her husband and in-laws.

What Her Mother Said In Complaint

Akriti's mother said her daughter was being subjected to continuous harassment for dowry. "Akriti met her husband Arastu through her sister Augustika, who was Akriti's school friend. The couple dated for two years before they got married. 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," read the complaint accessed by NDTV. 

Anu Say Sutar said that the groom's family had agreed to Akriti's terms. "We agreed to the marriage on basis of these assurances," she said. 

But Arastu's behaviour completely changed after marriage. "When my daughter tried to return to her job, she was told to quit. When she requested to continue working, the family tried to create difficulties, foisting all household chores on her so she would be forced to quit," the complaint said. 

Anu Say Sutar alleged that Akriti was also abused for calling her or coming to her maternal house. 

"She was being physically and mentally tortured," the complaint read. On June 17, Akriti reportedly told her mother on a call that Arastu had whipped her with a belt because her phone was silent and she missed a call from him. "Arastu used to accuse her of having illicit relations and claimed that was why she kept her phone silent," she said. 

Arustu and his sister Augustika, along with other members of their family, were also pressuring her daughter to quit her job and bear a child, she alleged. 

The complaint said on June 29, Akriti told her mother that her husband might kill her. She said that if her mother went to their village, she was scared she would be alone and Arastu might beat her again. 

"On the same day, Arastu assaulted her again over a disagreement about food. He had refused to eat the food she cooked. Later, when she refused to reheat the food, he again assaulted her," the mother claimed. 

According to the complaint, after this incident, Akriti went to her sister-in-law Augustika's house in the Devli area of Delhi to discuss her husband's behaviour. But Arastu went there again and tried to assault her. Augustika and her husband Ankit Tushir managed to calm him down and bring about a reconciliation and Akriti reportedly returned to her husband's house.

Anu Say Sutar claimed that on July 3, she called Arastu's father, asking him to intervene in their children's domestic troubles. Despite living in the same house, Arastu's father said he was unaware of his son's behaviour, she alleged. 

He had even tried to talk to his son, but Arastu started abusing him and blamed Akriti for the fiasco, she said in the complaint. 

"Right after that, my daughter called me, asking why I involved her in-laws because now Arastu was threatening to get her brother fired from his job and get him beaten up. Augustika also called and warned me that I should not interfere in a matter involving their family. Akriti, she said, was brought to their house to do household chores and cook for her husband, and any agreement about continuing her job was not official," the complaint read. 

According to Anu Say Sutar, on the morning of July 4, Akriti called her and said she was leaving for work. Her phone was switched off after that.

"At night, Augustika called me and accused me of hiding my daughter at home. Arastu also shouted at me and accused me of hiding my daughter. He then 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 about the death around 10 pm, when a police officer 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. Even so, Akriti's husband and his relatives were 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 cannot 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.

What The Police Said

The Delhi Police said proceedings under Section 196 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been initiated, and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) will be in charge of the matter. 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 injuries on Akriti's left arm and thigh. It is not yet clear if these injuries were the result of the fall or from before. 

The police are examining CCTV footage from the Palika Kunj Apartments to see if anyone accompanied Akriti or whether she had arrived there alone.