GHAZIABAD: A 34-year-old labourer who had checked into a hotel at Patel Nagar with his girlfriend allegedly killed her, then slept with her corpse next to him before calling the police on Sunday morning.The accused, Praveen Kumar, a resident of Seva Nagar in Nandgram, called the emergency helpline around 7am on Sunday, claiming his partner, Aarti, was unwell. A police team that arrived at the hotel found Aarti dead in the room.
Kumar was taken into custody after an autopsy revealed that the woman died due to “shock and haemorrhage resulting from ante-mortem injuries”. The post-mortem report found the woman had multiple rib fractures, ruptured lungs and liver, and extensive internal bleeding in the chest and abdominal cavity, DCP (city) Dhawal Jaiswal said, adding the severity of the injuries indicated brutal physical assault.Investigators said Aarti was a widow and lived with her 16-year-old son, Dakshya, in Ghaziabad. Kumar was known to the family and had been a friend of her late husband, Rohit Kumar.ACP Upasana Pandey said Kumar told investigators that he had been in a relationship with Aarti for about one and a half years, though they had known each other since 2022.During questioning, Kumar claimed that on Saturday evening, they checked into Hotel New Royal King in Patel Nagar around 10pm. The couple consumed alcohol and food in room number 207. An argument later broke out after he suspected Aarti of being in contact with another man. Police said the dispute escalated into a physical altercation.According to Kumar’s statement, Aarti allegedly slapped him during the argument, after which he began hitting her with his fists and elbows. He told police that she scratched his face in an attempt to defend herself, which further enraged him. Investigators said Kumar admitted to repeatedly striking her on both sides of her ribs with his fists and elbows.The assault allegedly took place around midnight. Police said Aarti lost consciousness and collapsed on the bed. Kumar claimed he tried to shake her, but she did not respond. He then remained in the room and later fell asleep on the bed next to her.Around 7am on Sunday, Kumar woke up and attempted to wake Aarti again. When she failed to respond, he allegedly tried to leave the hotel with his bag without informing staff, the ACP said. Hotel employees stopped him at the gate, prompting him to claim that his companion was unwell and that he was going to a nearby medical shop.Staff members subsequently checked the room and found the woman unresponsive. They asked Kumar to alert the police, following which he dialled the emergency helpline (112). Police said Kumar initially claimed he had no recollection of the night’s events as both were intoxicated. However, officers said the autopsy findings contradicted his account. “There were no visible external injuries, but the internal damage was extensive,” an officer said, adding that Kumar appeared to believe the injuries would not be detected.An FIR has been registered against Kumar under BNS Section 103 (murder). Police have seized forensic evidence from the hotel room, and CCTV footage from the premises. Forensic reports are awaited, officials said.
