A year after acid attack on wife that led to her death, 61-yr-old man arrested from Kolhapur

A YEAR after a 61-year-old man threw acid at his wife, resulting in her death due to burn injuries, the Crime Branch of Delhi Police has arrested the accused from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. Police said he had been serving as a help at various religious places in Kolhapur in a bid to evade police.

DCP (Crime) Amit Goel said the accused person, Jitendra alias Jitu, was wanted in a case of acid attack and murder of his wife in 2023 in Northwest Delhi's Jahangirpuri area. Police said on April 29 last year, Jitendra threw acid on his wife as he suspected her of having an extra-marital affair. A case was lodged and murder sections were added after the woman succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.

Said the DCP, “After the incident, the accused left Delhi and shifted his location to different states so that he could not be traced. He did not carry any mobile phone to avoid being tracked... he changed his looks and had grown his beard so that he could not be identified.”

Police said he pretended to be a helper at various religious places and continuously kept changing his hideouts. A cash reward of Rs 25,000 was declared on his arrest by police. Said the DCP, “Efforts were being made to trace him. The accused is of a very shrewd mind and was aware of police's tactics and hence, kept changing his hideouts.”

Recently, police received tipoff that Jitendra was living somewhere in Maharashtra. “The leads were verified and the team, under the supervision of ACP Umesh Barthwal, reached at the hideout of the accused in Nashik in Maharashtra. But he had escaped by then. The team then started tracking him at bus stands by showing his photographs and landed in Solapur,” said the officer.

At Solapur, police learnt that the accused was seen asking someone about Baru Mama Mandir in the area. The team reached the temple and apprehended Jitendra.

Police said on April 29 last year, Jitendra threw acid on his wife as he suspected her of having an extra-marital affair. She died of her injuries in the hospital