NEW DELHI: The family of 28-year-old Akriti, who died after allegedly falling from a residential building in south Delhi’s Palika Kunj, has accused her husband of demanding Rs 20 lakh in cash, a car, and objecting to her financially supporting her mother. Akriti had married Arastu Sikka in April this year. She worked as a sales executive with a healthcare company in Chhatarpur, while Sikka is unemployed. The couple lived with his father in Pushp Vihar. Her uncle, Mananjay, alleged that the dowry demands began soon after the marriage. “He demanded Rs 20 lakh cash and a car. He also initially had a problem with her job, however, agreed later on. She wanted to continue taking care of her mother as her father is no more and send Rs 5,000 every month, but he also had a problem with this,” he said.“They warned her that if she disclosed anything to me. She would either be harmed or lose her job,” her brother claimed.“She got married just two months ago. Since then, her husband and in-laws had been torturing her for dowry. She was mentally harassed regularly,” he stated.“She left her office in the evening. Her phone got switched off at 6.18 pm. We started searching for her immediately. Around 8 pm, we tried calling again, and a police officer answered the call and informed us that she had been admitted to a hospital,” he said.Akriti was found critically injured after the alleged fall from the NDMC residential complex in Palika Kunj on Saturday. She was taken to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), where doctors declared her dead. Police said a case under relevant provisions related to dowry death has been registered at Lodhi Colony police station, and the husband has been arrested. Officials said that since the death occurred within seven years of marriage, mandatory inquest proceedings were conducted by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM). Demanding strict action against those responsible, the family said they wanted a fair investigation and justice for Akriti. A senior police officer said investigators were examining all aspects of the case, including the circumstances that brought the woman to the location where the incident occurred.“We are trying to ascertain why the woman chose to visit that area. Her mobile phone records, call detail records, and other digital evidence are being analysed to establish her movements and contacts before the incident. CCTV footage from the area is also being examined,” the officer said. Earlier, the victim’s family had rejected the possibility of suicide and alleged that her husband and in-laws had murdered her over dowry-related demands. The woman’s brother had also alleged that the incident was being projected as a case of suicide to shield those responsible.(With Agency Inputs)
