Husband held for allegedly stabbing wife to death

Delhi Police arrested a man from Mumbai for allegedly murdering his wife in Delhi’s Gandhi Nagar area, officials said on Thursday. Khalid Navi, a Chanderpuri resident from Kailash Nagar, was arrested on June 16 after a three-day interstate manhunt following the alleged murder of his wife, Rukhsar, who was around 30 years old.

According to police, they received information regarding the murder at the Gandhi Nagar police station on June 13. A police team rushed to the spot and found the victim dead. Forensic experts and the Crime Team examined the crime scene and recovered a blood-stained knife suspected to be the murder weapon. Police registered a case of murder under relevant sections of the BNS and initiated an investigation.

During the probe, investigators recorded statements from family members and witnesses and examined CCTV footage from the area, which allegedly showed the husband fleeing shortly after the crime.

Investigators relied on human intelligence and field enquiries. Teams were dispatched to multiple locations, including Badaun in Uttar Pradesh, Hubballi in Karnataka, Mumbai and Goa, while searches continued in Delhi. After sustained efforts and coordination with police units across states, investigators developed information that the accused was likely to contact his brother. Acting on the lead, they tracked him down and arrested him in Mumbai while he was allegedly attempting to conceal his identity.

“Despite the accused leaving almost no digital footprint, our teams relentlessly pursued all available leads across multiple states. Through extensive field verification, human intelligence and interstate coordination, the accused was apprehended within three days of the crime,” said Ajit Kumar Singla, Joint Commissioner of Police, Eastern Range.

During interrogation, Navi allegedly told police that he had been married to the victim for around 15 years and that the couple had three children. He claimed that frequent marital disputes over the past year and his suspicion that his wife was involved in a relationship with another person had led to repeated arguments between them.

Police said the accused alleged that on June 13, an argument broke out while he was trying to reconcile with his wife, during which he stabbed her, resulting in her death. He then fled Delhi and travelled by train through several states without tickets before reaching Mumbai, where he planned to seek assistance from his brother to evade arrest.

Police recovered the blood-stained knife used in the crime and seized the blood-stained clothes allegedly worn by the accused at the time of the murder. The clothes had been concealed at Panvel railway station near Mumbai. Investigators also recovered his blood-stained passport.

“The swift detection of this case reflects the dedication and professionalism of the Gandhi Nagar police team. The weapon of offence, blood-stained clothes and other crucial evidence were recovered, and the motive behind the murder has been established,” Singla added.

Police said the accused had previously been arrested six times in preventive proceedings under Sections 107/151 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Further investigation is underway.