New Delhi, Aug 15, 2023( IANS): A 24-year-old woman has been arrested for strangling her live-in partner’s 11-year-old son to death and concealing his body in a bed box in Delhi’s Inderpuri area, the police said on Tuesday.
The accused woman has been identified as Pooja Kumari.
According to the police, on August 10, the son of Jitender, the live-in partner of Pooja, was found dead, and his lifeless body was concealed in a bed box.
“After analysing the CCTV footage, it became apparent that the last individual seen visiting the deceased’s residence was Pooja,” said Special Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), Ravindra Singh Yadav.
“Subsequent efforts at the ground level were undertaken to gather details about the suspect. It was found that Pooja was in a live-in relationship with Jitender,” said Yadav.
Despite extensive searches, Pooja could not be located at her parents’ or relatives’ places. Several potential hideouts were also identified and searched.
“The police teams scanned more than 300 CCTV cameras, which revealed Pooja’s presence in areas such as Ranhola, Nihal Vihar and Rishal Garden on Najafgarh-Nangloi Road. But Pooja managed to evade capture by frequently changing her hiding place,” said Yadav.
The police eventually pinpointed Pooja’s location in the Bakkarwala area.
“After three days of persistent work, the police successfully located and apprehended Pooja,” said the Special CP.
During interrogation, it was revealed that Pooja reportedly married Jitender on October 17, 2019 at the Arya Samaj Mandir. However, Jitender was already married and had a son.
“Jitender had promised Pooja that he would marry her legally after divorcing his wife. Consequently, Jitender and Pooja began living together at a rented house,” the officer said.
However, later a dispute broke out between Jitender and Pooja over his refusal to divorce his wife.
Jitender ultimately chose not to divorce his wife, and from December 2022 onwards, he resumed living with her.
“This development infuriated Pooja, who considered Jitender’s son, Divyansh, a major impediment to their relationship. In an attempt to eliminate this perceived obstacle, Pooja decided to act,” said the Special CP.
On the day of the incident, with the help of a friend, Pooja reached Jitender’s house in JJ Colony, Inderpuri.
“Upon finding the door open and Divyansh asleep, Pooja took advantage of the opportunity and strangled him to death. After placing the body inside the bed box and covering it with clothes, she left the scene after locking the door,” said the Special CP.
“Pooja committed this act due to Jitender’s refusal to continue with their relationship,” the officer added.
