A man from Delhi’s Trilokpuri has been arrested for brutally murdering his wife in Prayagraj during their visit to the Mahakumbh festival. The accused, Ashok Kumar, slit his wife Meenakshi’s throat at a homestay in the Jhunsi area on February 18.
On the morning of February 19, police discovered Meenakshi’s blood-soaked body in the bathroom of the guesthouse, which was accommodating festival pilgrims. The couple had checked in the previous night without providing identification. The next morning, the guesthouse manager found the horrific scene and alerted authorities.
With no immediate leads, police circulated Meenakshi’s photograph on social media and in newspapers. On February 21, her relatives identified her and informed the police. Her husband, Ashok Kumar, was tracked down and arrested.
During interrogation, Ashok confessed to the crime, revealing that he had been planning his wife’s murder for three months due to an extramarital affair. Posing as a devoted husband, he took Meenakshi on a pilgrimage to Prayagraj. After an argument at night, he attacked her in the bathroom, slit her throat, and disposed of his blood-stained clothes and the weapon.
To cover his tracks, Ashok later called his son, falsely claiming that Meenakshi had gone missing in the Mahakumbh crowd. However, his inconsistent statements, CCTV footage, and forensic evidence exposed the crime, leading to his arrest.