Ghaziabad man takes former wife to Haridwar, kills her to avoid paying alimony

Gyan Prakash Rai, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Modinanagr, said the First Information Report (FIR) was registered after the woman’s younger sister, Manju Sharma, filed a missing person’s complaint on January 23. Manju alleged her sister had left for her boutique in Raj Nagar on January 21 at around 9.30 am, and had not returned home and her mobile phone was switched off.

“Following the complaint, I started my own investigation and tried finding my sister. A neighbour told me that he saw her sitting in a white car with a man and that confirmed that it was her ex-husband. Meanwhile, I also found out about the court verdict and that she was to get a maintenance of Rs 5,40,000 in three instalments and an allowance of Rs 6,000 from her husband,” Manju told The Indian Express.

Manju filed another complaint with the Modinagar Police alleging Virendra’s involvement in her sister’s disappearance. The police then registered a case under Section 140 (1) (kidnapping or abduction with intent to murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and launched an investigation. “I had to request officials to put his name in the FIR. When they did not listen, I also sat on a dharna outside the police station,” she alleged.

“Ten days into their marriage, Virendra had started assaulting my sister. A year later, she delivered a girl who died 15 days after her birth under mysterious circumstances. In 2003, Virendra had thrown my sister in a forest after assaulting her and then a relative had informed us,” Manju told The Indian Express.

Meanwhile, the police received a tip-off, arrested Virendra from Saunda Road, and also recovered his car, in which he had allegedly taken Madhu to Haridwar. During questioning, Virendra told the police he had married Madhu on December 13, 2002, and separated in 2004.

“The couple was granted a unilateral divorce in July 2014 after years of legal battle. Madhu, subsequently, filed a maintenance case in a Ghaziabad family court. In September 2023, the court ordered Virendra to pay her Rs 6,000 a month and around Rs 5 lakh in arrears,” said an officer.

During the investigation, Virendra allegedly told the police he planned to kill Madhu to avoid these payments, and lured her into his car on the pretext of visiting Chandi Mandir in Haridwar. “Instead of taking the ropeway to the temple, he suggested they take the 3 km trekking route. While returning, about 1.5 km away from the parking site, he strangled her with her dupatta and disposed of the body in the forest and covered it with stones,” said ACP Rai.

“We have recovered the body and the Haridwar police have sent it for an autopsy. We are waiting for their reports, and it will be sent through the proper channel,” Rai told The Indian Express.