Commotion broke out at the Maharajpur police station in Kanpur on Saturday morning when a young man walked in crying and told the inspector, "Sir... I have strangled my wife. Her body is lying at home wrapped in a blanket."
The man, identified as Sachin, 22, admitted that after committing the murder, he wandered the city for four hours and even considered running away before ultimately deciding to turn himself in. Police took him into custody and rushed to the crime scene, where they recovered the body of his wife, Shweta.
Sachin and Shweta were originally from Mohanpur village in the Fatehpur district. The couple had a court marriage against their families' wishes and initially moved to Surat, where Sachin worked in a factory. A month later, they moved to Kanpur and rented a room, where Sachin began driving an auto-rickshaw to make a living.
However, the relationship was reportedly strained by suspicion. During questioning, Sachin revealed that he had begun doubting Shweta's character. He questioned money frequently being deposited into her account, which she claimed was from her grandmother, and grew suspicious of the students living across from their home.
On Friday, Sachin devised a plan to test his suspicions. He called his wife and lied, saying he was at a party with friends and would not be home that night. When he returned unexpectedly, he allegedly found the room open and his wife with two young men from the neighbourhood.
An argument followed, prompting neighbours to call the emergency helpline (112). Police arrived at the scene and took everyone to the station. After the young men claimed they were sitting there, officers counselled the couple and sent them home, advising them to resolve their issues.
Once back at the house, the argument escalated further. Sachin claimed that Shweta threatened him, stating she would stay with the other men even if he killed her. In a fit of rage, Sachin strangled her to death.
Following the murder, Sachin fled to the Clock Tower (Ghantaghar) area and sat there for several hours. "I thought about how we had no one else, we eloped and got married for each other," he told the police. "Now she has no one, and neither do I. So I went to the police station and surrendered," he added.
The police have sent Shweta's body for a post-mortem examination.
(With inputs from Arun Aggarwal)
