Husband beats pregnant wife to death in Rajasthan over suspected infidelity

By-Somdutt Tripathi

BHILWARA: A 33-year-old pregnant woman was allegedly beaten to death on suspicion of adultery by her husband in Bhilwara district late Thursday night. Police said the 34-year-old husband, who had forcibly administered abortion pills to his wife during the assault, was detained Friday and formally placed under arrest Saturday.

The husband allegedly suspected the victim, Roli Devi, of having an extra-marital affair and brutally assaulted her late Thursday night at the couple's home under Hamirgarh police station. She suffered a miscarriage and severe blood loss as a result, police said. Neighbours, alerted by her screams, rushed her to the district hospital, where she later died during treatment.

"Based on a statement by the deceased's daughter, we registered a case of murder against accused Gopi Yadav and formed separate teams to locate him," said Hamirgarh police station in-charge Sunil Kumar Beda.

Yadav, a factory labourer hailing from Hardoi in Uttar Pradesh, was currently residing at BSL Colony in Bhilwara. The couple had four children — two sons and two daughters.

Police said the couple's 14-year-old daughter told investigators that her father began assaulting her mother Thursday morning, and the beatings continued intermittently throughout the day.

At one point, she alleged that her father went to the market, bought abortion pills and forcibly administered them to her mother when she refused to take them.

Police said preliminary investigation suggests the killing was linked to the husband's suspicion of his wife's infidelity and a resulting dispute over the pregnancy.

An official who was part of the medical team that conducted the post-mortem of the deceased described her injuries as severe.

"The condition of the body was shocking. Though there were no fractures, multiple injuries clearly pointed to sustained violence. There were also signs of an attempted forced abortion," said medical jurist Dr Chetan Kumar.

Doctors said the woman was brought to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital in critical condition with heavy blood loss and could not be saved.

Deputy superintendent of police (Sadar) Harjeeram said the accused was produced before a court Saturday and remanded in police custody for three days.