GURUGRAM: Angry over his parents-in-law’s refusal to meet his dowry demands, a 24-year-old man allegedly strangled his wife to death in their two-room rented accommodation in Anjana Colony . He stayed with the body for two days before finally calling police when it started stinking.

The murder took place on Wednesday night. Manjit was arrested on Friday, produced in a city court on Saturday, and sent to judicial custody. Police said he confessed to having killed his wife in a fit of rage during an argument over dowry. Manjit’s parents have also been booked for dowry death, though they’re yet to be arrested.

Manjit, originally from Bhiwani district, and his 23-year-old wife Sushma, from Palwal district, relocated to Gurugram soon after their marriage in December last year. Within days, he landed a job in a private company in Sector 37. However, all was not well between the couple and they frequently had fights over dowry money.

On Wednesday night too, police said, an argument broke out between Manjit and Sushma over dowry and he strangled his wife with her dupatta. Realising that she had stopped breathing, Manjit placed the body on the bed and stayed in the other room for two days.

“While we were about to go to bed after dinner, the argument broke out when I asked my wife to arrange for some money from her father. I killed in a fit of rage. But I did not tell anyone and stayed at home for two days,” Manjit told police.

Apparently unable to bear the stench, Manjit called the police control room on Friday morning. A police team immediately reached his home and arrested him. Cops also sent the body for an autopsy.

Sushma’s father Jaipal said that Manjit and his parents used to regularly demand dowry money from them. “He used to thrash my daughter often for dowry. Some months ago, I had arranged Rs 8,000 somehow and gave him, but he again started demanding,” he said.

“A panchayat was also called over dowry harassment some time back, but I never thought that he would kill my daughter,” the father added.

On the basis of her father’s complaint, an FIR was registered against Manjit, his father Dharmbir and mother Birmati under sections 498-A (dowry harassment), 304-B (dowry death), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC at Sector 10 A police station. “The main accused has been arrested and sent to judicial custody. We are investigating the case from all angles and the other accused will be arrested soon,” said Joginder Singh, the investigating officer.

