Anissia Batra, a flight attendant with Lufthansa airline, allegedly jumped to her death from her home in south Delhi. (HT Photo )

The parents of the 39-year-old flight attendant, who allegedly jumped to her death in south Delhi’s Panchsheel Park, have said a flat sold by their daughter was a point of friction with her husband, an investigator has said.

Anissia Batra’s parents have accused Mayank Singhvi of harassing their daughter for dowry and alleged he abused her physically since the beginning of their marriage.

Singhvi was arrested on Monday evening, three days after Batra allegedly jumped from the terrace of her home. He would be produced before a magistrate on Tuesday.

The investigator quoted Anissia’s parents as saying that the flat in south Delhi’s Vasant Vihar was owned by their daughter and she had sold it for Rs 1.2 crore in February.

“Anissia had kept the money in her bank account, but Singhvi allegedly wanted the money. He would fight over that,” said the investigator on the condition of anonymity.

Police have requested the banks to seal the accounts of the couple and also seized their cell phones.

Anissia’s family had earlier alleged lapses and laxity in the police probe. They also claimed that her husband had wiped all the evidence since the crime spot was not sealed by the police.

However, Romil Baaniya, deputy commissioner of police (south), denied the family’s allegations and said that the property was not sealed since the evidence had already been lifted from the spot.

“The crime team reached the spot as and when they were informed. The allegations made by parents are being considered and therefore a team from the Forensic Science Laboratory team was sent to the spot for recreating the crime scene,” he was quoted as saying news agency PTI on Monday.

Baaniya also said the probe so far has indicated that Anissia had “jumped” to her death and not killed as alleged by some of her relatives. The daughter of a retired Indian Army major general, Anissia worked for Lufthansa, a German airline, and was a native of Chandigarh.

Anissia married Singhvi, who worked for a research firm before bagging a senior position with a real estate company, in February 2016. Anissia’s mother, Neelam Batra, said that Singhvi was a divorcee but had concealed it all this while.

“The abuse began during the couple’s honeymoon itself. Singhvi beat her up in the room and lobby of the hotel they were staying at. She had to move to safety at a friend’s place and returned to India alone,” alleged Neelam in her complaint to the police.

Anissia’s mother added that the abuses continued even when the couple returned to India, despite assurances from Singhvi’s parents that it wouldn’t recur. “Singhvi would drink and beat my daughter,” she alleged.

Neelam told the police that the frequency of the fights between Anissia and Singhvi increased since April, forcing her and her husband, RS Batra, to repeatedly visit Anissia in Delhi.

“But Singhvi wanted us out of the house. Once he beat me up too — an act that left his bracelet broken. His parents would instigate him over the phone,” alleged Neelam, adding that Singhvi often pressured Anissia for money.

On June 27, Anissia’s parents had visited Hauz Khas police station and submitted a letter saying that Singhvi was to be held responsible if any ill befell upon her.

On Friday morning, the couple fought again, said police. “Anissia first sent a message to her brother and a friend about the fight before sending an SMS to her husband that she was going to jump from the terrace,” said an investigator.

Singhvi told police that he rushed to the terrace, only to find the door locked from the other side.

“When he managed to open the door, he couldn’t find Anissia. He ran downstairs to be told by a labourer that a woman had jumped from the terrace,” Baaniya said about Singhvi’s claims.

The police had registered a case of dowry death on Saturday and had got the autopsy conducted on Sunday.

(With agency inputs)