Nagpur: A suspected attempt to pass off a domestic murder as an accidental fall unravelled in Kamgar Nagar after a post-mortem examination exposed the fatal injuries suffered by a 33-year-old woman, leading police to arrest her husband on Friday.
The deceased, Lakshmi Roshan Shahakar (33), of New MHADA Colony, Kamgar Nagar, was allegedly repeatedly assaulted by her husband, Roshan Kishore Shahakar (42), during a heated argument over his suspicion that she was involved in an extramarital relationship. The incident occurred at their residence under the jurisdiction of Kapil Nagar Police Station on Thursday night.
What initially appeared to police to be a case of an accidental fall took a different turn after the post-mortem report pointed to internal injuries as the cause of Lakshmi’s death. Police subsequently detained Roshan for questioning, during which he allegedly admitted to assaulting his wife.
According to police, the couple had been having frequent arguments over Roshan’s suspicion regarding Lakshmi’s alleged extramarital affair. On Thursday, the dispute reportedly erupted again at around 8.30 pm, shortly after Lakshmi returned home from work at a clothing store.
Police allege that Roshan repeatedly slapped Lakshmi forcefully on the head during the quarrel. She suffered serious internal injuries, collapsed and became unconscious.
Roshan then took her to Mayo Hospital, where doctors examined her and declared her dead.
But instead of reporting an assault, Roshan allegedly told hospital authorities that Lakshmi had fallen on the staircase of their house and sustained a fatal head injury. He reportedly maintained the same version while speaking to police, apparently portraying the death as an accident.
The account, however, came under scrutiny after the post-mortem examination.
Post-mortem becomes turning point
The post-mortem findings reportedly indicated that Lakshmi had died from internal injuries, prompting investigators to question the circumstances surrounding her death. Police then detained Roshan and subjected him to detailed questioning.
During interrogation, he allegedly broke down and confessed to assaulting Lakshmi during the quarrel.
The investigation is now focused on establishing the sequence of events leading to her death and examining the circumstances surrounding Roshan’s alleged attempt to portray the incident as an accident.
Husband had recently walked out of prison
The case has also brought Roshan’s criminal past under the scanner. Police said he had returned home in July after completing a prison sentence in connection with a 2006 murder case registered at Pachpaoli Police Station.
Roshan had allegedly married Lakshmi, who was his brother’s sister-in-law, around eight years ago while he was out on parole in the earlier case.
After his release from prison, Roshan reportedly began working as an agent for the Regional Transport Office (RTO), while Lakshmi was employed at a clothing store.
Police are continuing their investigation into the circumstances of Lakshmi’s death and the alleged attempt to mislead investigators..
