Man Marries Woman Who Accused Him Of Rape, Strangles Her To Death 6 Months Later

A 24-year-old man who has been accused of raping a woman has admitted to killing her almost six months after he got married to her, police said Monday.

The man, identified by his first name Rajesh, from Delhi, the capital city of India, has been charged with murder for strangling to death his 29-year-old wife, Babita, reported Hindustan Times.

Babita's family reported her missing last month and the police started an investigation. During an interrogation, Rajesh admitted that he killed his wife after taking her to Nainital, a hill station in the northern state of Uttarakhand, around 190 miles away from Delhi. He later led the police to the spot where he dumped her body near a highway.

In August 2020, Rajesh was jailed based on Babita's complaint that he had raped her on the pretext of marrying her. After a few days, Babita filed an affidavit saying that she wanted to withdraw the complaint and wished to get married to him. Rajesh was released on bail in October 2020, and the couple got married in December 2020, reported The Indian Express.

Babita's family alleged that Rajesh often fought with her over petty issues. The family also complained that she was not given proper food and accommodation, police said.

Rajesh reportedly convinced his wife who was staying at her native to come back on June 11 to his hometown in Uttarakhand, where his mother lived. Babita's family filed a missing complaint on June 15 after they could not reach her on the phone.

Rajesh initially claimed that his wife escaped after reaching Uttarakhand and he has lost contact with her. After reviewing the couple's phone records, police found out that their last location was in Nainital, where Babita's phone got switched off. When the officers questioned Rajesh, he confessed to killing his wife.

“About 13 km from Nainital, he expressed his desire to have a physical relationship with his wife at a secluded place. He took her to a cave. After having sex, he strangled his wife,” Hindustan Times reported, quoting Vijay Mehta, an investigating officer.

Rajesh reportedly told the police that he decided to murder his wife because she and her mother “harassed” him. He has been arrested on charges of murder and destruction of evidence.