In a chilling turn of events from Najibabad, Uttar Pradesh, a railway employee was found to have been murdered by his wife, despite her initial claims that he died of a heart attack. The shocking revelation came after the postmortem report confirmed that 29-year-old Deepak Kumar died due to strangulation.
Deepak, who worked in the carriage and wagon department of the Najibabad railway station, was living with his wife Shivani in a rented home in Adarsh Nagar. The couple had tied the knot in a love marriage earlier this year on January 17. However, things took a dark turn last Friday when Shivani informed Deepak’s family that he had suffered a heart attack. She rushed him to a private hospital and later to a community health centre, but doctors refused to admit him. He was declared dead upon arrival at the district hospital in Bijnor.
Suspicions arose when Deepak’s family noticed marks on his neck and insisted on a postmortem, which confirmed death by strangulation. Based on a complaint filed by Deepak’s brother, Piyush alias Mukul, the police registered a case against Shivani and an unknown accomplice. Shivani was taken into custody.
During initial questioning, Shivani tried to mislead the investigators but eventually admitted to the crime. “While registering a report in the case of murder of the railway employee, the wife of the deceased is being questioned. Efforts are being made to know the reason for the murder. Whether it is a love affair or any other aspect, all are being investigated thoroughly,” said Sanjeev Bajpai, SP City Bijnor.
According to officials, the crime appears to have been carefully staged. At the time of the murder, Deepak was reportedly eating food, and remnants were found stuck in his throat during the autopsy. Police believe a rope was used to strangle him.
Deepak’s background includes a stint in the CRPF in Manipur, which he left in 2023 to join the railways. He had recently moved out with his wife due to her strained relationship with his family. “She used to beat her mother-in-law,” said Pushpa, Deepak’s mother. The couple also has a one-year-old son named Vedant.
Allegations have surfaced that Shivani may have committed the murder to gain employment and financial benefits under the deceased dependent scheme. The police are now probing whether someone helped her carry out the crime.
“According to SP City, in the preliminary police interrogation, Shivani has admitted to committing the murder. But she is continuously misleading on who was with her,” an official stated. She reportedly gave one name, but the individual has denied involvement. Investigations are ongoing to identify the second person possibly involved.
