New Delhi, Apr 27 (PTI) A 38-year-old woman advocate is battling for life at AIIMS following an attack by her husband with a sharp-edged weapon in northeast Delhi’s Khajuri Khas, with her sister claiming that she suffered years of domestic violence, harassment by in-laws, and a festering property dispute.
The accused, Manoj Kumar, 35, was arrested on Sunday, five days after the April 22 attack, which left his wife, Madhu Rajput, with multiple deep cuts, fractures in both arms, and a severe head injury.
“My sister can speak a little now, but she cannot do anything on her own. She has injuries all over her body. She has undergone surgeries on both hands, her leg, and even her head,” Madhu’s sister, Somya, told PTI.
The family said that the assault took place on the birthday of Madhu’s elder daughter from her first marriage, who had turned 12 that day.
Madhu’s first marriage had ended years ago after disputes over the birth of a girl child, her sister said, adding that Madhu later married Kumar in a love marriage around six years ago.
“It was her elder daughter’s birthday. There was an argument at home, and he left angrily for his office. My sister went there to ask why he had walked out on the child’s birthday,” Somya said.
She alleged that once Madhu reached the office, Kumar made her sit on a sofa, locked both the shutter and the glass door, and then attacked her with a sword-like weapon.
“She tried to save herself with her hands as much as she could, but she fell unconscious,” the sister said.
The family claimed Kumar then called his relatives saying that he had killed her.
Medico-legal case papers accessed by PTI record multiple grievous injuries. These include deep wounds on the hands, fingers, and foot, exposed tendons on the wrist, deformities in both forearms indicating fractures, and a wound on the back of the head with skull exposed.
The family further said Madhu lost blood, and they struggled for hours to get her treated because the hospitals refused her treatment.
“We first took her to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital. Then we went to Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. She was bleeding heavily, and we kept pleading with the doctors to at least stop the bleeding. Later, she vomited blood, and we thought we had lost her,” the sister said.
The family said they then approached other private hospitals before finally taking her to AIIMS Trauma Centre, where treatment began in the early hours of the next morning.
The family has also alleged that two minor daughters of Madhu and Kumar — aged one and four — were taken away by the accused’s relatives after the attack.
“They left the elder girl (from first marriage) in the lane and took the two younger daughters with them. We still do not know where the children are. Even today, my sister kept asking where are her daughters,” she said.
The victim’s family alleged the attack was the culmination of years of abuse within the marriage.
They claimed Madhu was repeatedly taunted by her mother-in-law and Kumar routinely sided with his family during disputes.
“His mother was always cruel to her and would taunt her. If my sister answered back, he would become aggressive and tell her not to say anything against his mother,” Somya alleged.
She further claimed that around four years ago, Madhu had filed a domestic violence case after being assaulted and thrown out of the house while pregnant.
“The court had then ordered that she be taken back into the house,” the sister said.
The family also linked the marital discord to a property in Sonia Vihar, which they claimed Madhu had purchased in Kumar’s name.
According to relatives, Madhu later wanted the property transferred back to her name so she could live separately with her children and away from the constant fights.
“Madhu said the children were growing up in a toxic environment, and she wanted to live on her own. He initially agreed but never transferred the property. Later, she asked him to at least give her some money so she could move out,” the sister said.
The Delhi Police has formed a team to investigate if two government and a private hospital refused immediate treatment to Madhu, after the Supreme Court on Monday took note of the case, a police source said.
The Supreme Court took note of the assault and directed the Delhi Police Commissioner to hand over the probe to a senior cop, preferably a woman officer in the rank of ACP or DCP. PTI MSJ BM MSJ APL APL
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