Delhi Man Kills Wife at Maha Kumbh to Cover Up Affair: Police Arrest Husband

A couple from Delhi’s Trilokpuri traveled to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh festival, with the husband capturing their moments in photos and videos, which he shared with their children, portraying a happy trip. They checked into a modest homestay for the night, but by morning, the wife was found murdered in the bathroom.

The Prayagraj Commissionerate Police cracked the case within 48 hours, arresting the husband for the brutal crime committed on the night of February 18 in the Jhunsi area of the city.

Crime Scene Discovery

On the morning of February 19, police were alerted about the body of a 40-year-old woman found in a blood-soaked state in the bathroom of a homestay in Azad Nagar Colony, under the Jhunsi police station’s jurisdiction. The property was being used to host pilgrims attending the Maha Kumbh festival.

Upon arriving at the scene, authorities found that the woman had been brutally murdered, her throat slit with a sharp weapon.

Initial investigations revealed that the woman had checked into the homestay with a man the previous night, presenting themselves as husband and wife. The homestay manager had allotted them a room without verifying their identities or collecting any identification proof. The following morning, he discovered the gruesome crime and immediately alerted the police.

How The Case Was Solved

Investigations found that the victim had traveled from Delhi to Prayagraj with her husband on February 18. The police circulated the woman’s photograph on social media and in newspapers, which led to her relatives identifying her on February 21.

The victim was identified as Meenakshi, wife of Ashok Kumar, a sanitation worker from Trilokpuri, Delhi. Her brother, Pravesh Kumar, and her two sons, Ashwani and Adarsh, rushed to Prayagraj after recognizing her photograph. At Jhunsi police station, they confirmed her identity.

Following this, the police registered a case against Ashok Kumar and tracked him down. He was arrested soon after.

Murder Motivated by an Affair

During interrogation, Ashok Kumar admitted to planning his wife’s murder for three months. He was involved in an extramarital affair and wanted to eliminate Meenakshi to continue his relationship freely.

To execute his plan, Ashok convinced Meenakshi to accompany him to the Maha Kumbh pilgrimage on February 17. The next day, they arrived in Jhunsi and checked into a homestay.

That night, an argument broke out between them. When Meenakshi went into the bathroom, Ashok seized the opportunity, attacking her from behind and slitting her throat with a knife. He then changed out of his bloodstained clothes, wrapped the murder weapon with them, and disposed of the evidence before fleeing the scene.

To create an alibi, Ashok called his son Ashish later and claimed that Meenakshi had gone missing in the crowded fair. Pretending to be distressed, he told his children that he had searched for her but could not find her.

Unraveling the Truth

Suspicious of his father’s story, Meenakshi’s son Ashwin started his own search. On February 20, the family arrived at the Maha Kumbh with Meenakshi’s photograph and began looking for her.

Meanwhile, police gathered CCTV footage and forensic evidence from the crime scene. Surveillance footage from February 18 showed Ashok and Meenakshi together, and just a day before the murder, Ashok had uploaded a video of them taking a sacred dip at the Sangam.

Inconsistencies in Ashok’s statements, along with CCTV footage and forensic reports, ultimately led to his arrest.