Weeks After Marrying 9-Year Lover, She Killed Him As Parents Held Him Down

Two months after a wedding that had capped a nine-year love story, a marriage in Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly collapsed after the death of the husband. 33-year-old Jitendra Kumar Yadav was found hanging in a rented house in the city's Izzatnagar area. 

Initially, the death raised no alarm. Neighbours were told that Jitendra died by suicide. But a post-mortem examination revealed that "stangulation" was the cause of death. Piecing all the evidence together, the police said that Jitendra was strangled by his wife while his father-in-law, mother-in-law and brother-in-law held him down. 

The body was then suspended from a window grill with a muffler to stage a suicide. Three of the accused have been arrested, while the police are looking for the brother-in-law. 

What Happened

The wife, Jyoti, and the victim, Jitendra Kumar Yadav, had married on November 25, last year, following a nine-year relationship that began during their student days. According to police, the marriage was conducted according to Hindu customs and with the consent of both families.

According to the police, the relationship began to sour within weeks of the wedding, primarily over money. Police allege that Jitendra withdrew Rs 20,000 from Jyoti's bank account and lost the sum in online gambling. The loss led to repeated arguments between them

On January 26, when Jyoti confronted her husband about the missing money, the argument escalated and turned into a physical fight. At that point, Jyoti allegedly called her parents and brother to the couple's rented home.

The house is located in Girja Shankar Colony within the Izzatnagar area. Jitendra had been living there with Jyoti since their marriage. He was originally from Bhaupora village in Etawah district.

How He Died 

According to the police, Jyoti's father, Kalicharan, mother Chameli, and brother Deepak arrived at the house following her call. During the ensuing confrontation, police claim, the parents and brother restrained Jitendra, holding his arms and legs, while Jyoti strangled him.

Police say that once Jitendra stopped responding, the family attempted to erase the signs of homicide. His body was allegedly tied with a muffler and hung from a window or ventilator grill to make it appear that he had died by suicide. An alarm was then raised to alert neighbours, with claims that the son-in-law had hanged himself.

When police reached the spot on January 26, the death was initially treated as a suspected suicide. Jitendra's body was found hanging inside the rented accommodation, and no immediate signs contradicted that account.

But a complaint was filed by Jitendra's brother, Ajay Kumar. Acting on the complaint, police registered a case of abetment to suicide against Jyoti and three others and ordered a post-mortem examination.

It concluded that the cause of death was strangulation and not hanging, effectively ruling out suicide. With that finding, the police altered the charges from abetment to suicide to murder and intensified their investigation.

Jyoti's brother Deepak has also been named as an accused in the case. Police said efforts are ongoing to trace and arrest him.

The Confession

During interrogation, police say Jyoti confessed to the crime and provided details of the events leading up to her husband's death. She told investigators that she and Jitendra had known each other since their student days. Jitendra was employed as a contract worker at the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), a premier government research institution based in Bareilly. Jyoti, police said, was working as a contract bus conductor with the Uttar Pradesh Road Transport Corporation.

According to her statement, frequent disputes over financial issues had deepened bitterness between the couple in the weeks following their wedding. On the day of the incident, she claimed, the argument spiralled out of control, prompting her to call her family.

Police allege that during the fight that followed, her parents and brother restrained Jitendra, allowing her to strangle him "in a fit of rage". After his death, the family allegedly worked together to stage the scene as a suicide by hanging.