A 25-year-old socialite, married to a Delhi-based pub owner, allegedly committed suicide just a month after her marriage at her residence in South Delhi’s Defence Colony on Friday.
A 25-year-old socialite, married to a Delhi-based pub owner, allegedly committed suicide just a month after her marriage at her residence in South Delhi’s Defence Colony on Friday. The Delhi police arrested her husband for dowry death under provisions of IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Priyanka Kapoor, an aspiring model and owner of an event management company, was found dead early on Friday in her Defence Colony flat. She allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself from a ceiling fan.
She had married Nitin Chawla (38), stakeholder in a few popular Delhi nightclubs and pubs, on January 6, the police said, adding it was Chawla’s second marriage. He had two children from his first marriage.
The police found a two-page note believed to have been written by the woman before her death. “In her suicide note, the victim alleged that she is being harassed by her husband who demanded more dowry and he often used to abuse her physically,” said a senior police officer.
Her family members have also alleged that her husband used to abuse her and took a huge amount as dowry.
The police said that the victim’s family members had revealed that Priyanka had stopped answering their phone calls a day prior to Holi, so her mother came to her residence to check on her. The content of the two-page note, recovered from the house and believed to be written in Priyanka’s hand, also matched the allegations, the police said.
“A case has been registered under charges of domestic violence and dowry death against the in-laws, following which the husband has been arrested,” DCP (South) Prem Nath said.
The incident came to light around 12.30 am on Friday. On late Thursday night, Priyanka’s mother had come to her house but nobody opened the door, which was locked from inside, for a long time. She then called up Nitin and the police. When a police team reached A-block Defence Colony, both Priyanka’s mother and her husband were standing outside the flat, the police said.
When the police broke open the door and went inside, Priyanka was found hanging from a ceiling fan. She was taken to AIIMS, where doctors declared her brought dead.
The sub-divisional magistrate of the area was informed and an inquest was initiated. Meanwhile, Priyanka’s body was sent for a post-mortem examination and the statement of her sister Dimpi Kapoor was recorded. She alleged that her sister’s husband had taken a huge amount of dowry and used to torture, beat and harass her.
Following Chawla’s arrest, the police is now looking into the role of his family members in connection with the case. Chawla had divorced his first wife, with whom he has a son (10) and a daughter (8), in December, the police said.
After divorce, Chawla got the custody of his son, which became a subject of dispute between him and Priyanka, an official privy to the investigation said.
The other major matter of dispute between Chawla and Priyanka was his lavish lifestyle, the official said. Further investigation into the matter is underway, the police added.
