Woman stabbed over 35 times, husband’s second wife a suspect

GURUGRAM: A 30-year-old woman was allegedly strangulated and stabbed 35 times at her house in Sector 18 on Monday night. Forensic experts said a study of the wounds suggest the victim was “tortured”.

The deceased, identified as Ayesha Khatoon, lived with her husband and his second wife, both of whom are on the run, the police said on Tuesday.

“A kitchen knife was used in the crime. It was recovered from the crime scene and has been sent for forensic examination. Preliminary investigation suggests that the prime suspect is her husband’s second wife and her brother, who are at large,” inspector Chander Parkash, station house officer (SHO) of the Sector 17/18 police station, said, adding that the wives shared an acrimonious relationship and did not get along.

The i ncident took place around 9.30pm on Monday when Khatoon was alone at her oneroom rented accommodation, the police said, adding that her husband was allegedly at his workplace.

“The body has 35 cuts, including many superficial ones and a few deep wounds, possibly inflicted with a kitchen knife or a screwdriver. The manner of the killing suggests the victim was tortured before being killed,” said Dr Deepak Mathur, forensic expert at Civil Hospital, Gurugram.

Police said that Khatoon, who had polio, and her husband had been married for a decade but did not have any children, but the man had children from his second wife. “There used to be frequent fights between the wives over this issue,” an investigator said.

The police registered a case against the man’s second wife and her brother under sections 302 (murder) and 34 (acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Sector 17/18 police station.