Delhi: Constable shoots wife dead on her birthday; family claims dowry harassment

New Delhi, Jul 13 (PTI) A 30-year-old woman was allegedly shot dead in the middle of a road by her husband, a Delhi Police constable, on her birthday in east Delhi's Vinod Nagar area, police said. The family of the victim, Priyanka, claimed that the couple left home together on a motorcycle at around 3 am before an argument broke out on the road. The family members claimed that Priyanka was repeatedly harassed for dowry, despite filing a complaint with the women’s cell, which had settled the dispute earlier. The accused, Manish Bhati, is posted with the Anti Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of the Delhi Police and has been absconding since the incident, police said. According to Priyanka's brothers, Rahul and Manish, the couple left their New Vinod Nagar home late Sunday night to go out for some work on her birthday. They alleged that the two got into an argument while riding the motorcycle, following which the constable allegedly shot his wife near Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital and fled, leaving her critically injured. Priyanka was found lying on the roadside by a delivery executive passing through the area. He rushed her to Lal Bahadur Shastri Hospital, where doctors declared her dead, police said. According to police, the incident followed a fresh argument between the couple on Sunday. Police said the two had left their home together, but the altercation allegedly continued while they were travelling. Police have recovered CCTV footage of the incident allegedly showing the couple stopping their scooter by the roadside before getting off and arguing. According to the police, the footage purportedly captures the constable pulling out his pistol during the altercation and shooting his wife, a police source said. Police teams have been formed to trace and arrest the accused, while forensic experts have examined the crime scene. The body has been sent for postmortem. The couple got married in 2023. Priyanka worked as a teacher at a private school in Ashok Vihar. Priyanka's family alleged that she had been subjected to harassment over dowry since her marriage. They claimed that a complaint had earlier been filed with the women's cell, but the matter was settled following counselling and intervention by relatives. Additionally, the family claimed that Manish had been demanding money from them. Police said the allegations by Priyanka’s family are being verified as part of the investigation, and appropriate legal action will be taken based on the evidence collected. A murder case has been registered, and investigators are looking into the couple's marital relationship, past complaints, and any other possible motives for the killing. PTI BM BM KSI KSI