Pregnant Defence Ministry Official Found Dead in Delhi; FIR Registered Against Husband and In-Laws
NEW DELHI: Delhi Police have registered a criminal case against the husband and in-laws of a 30-year-old Assistant Section Officer (ASO) in the Ministry of Defence after she was found dead at her residence in southwest Delhi's Dwarka. The deceased, identified as Nazia Khanam, was three months pregnant at the time of the incident.
Police officials received a PCR call regarding the incident around 4:20 AM on August 21 from Sector 23, Dwarka. A team reached the scene, took possession of the body, and transferred it to the mortuary at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital for post-mortem examination.
Sequence of Events and Police Action
According to preliminary statements recorded by Delhi Police, the deceased married Mohammad Azam Ali Khan, a Gurgaon-based supply chain manager, on April 11, 2026. Investigators were told that the couple had gone for a medical check-up on the day preceding the incident and engaged in an argument after returning home.
The husband claimed in his statement to police that Khanam locked him inside one room before locking herself in another. He reportedly sought assistance from their landlord to exit through a window/balcony and subsequently found her unresponsive in the adjoining room.
- Initial Statement: Family members initially appeared before the Executive Magistrate on August 21 without alleging foul play.
- Subsequent Complaint: On August 22, the family submitted a detailed written complaint to the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), alleging physical assault, dowry demands, and continuous harassment.
- Statutory FIR Registered: Police registered an FIR at Sector 23 Dwarka Police Station under Sections 85 and 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Statutory Provisions and Allegations of Harassment
The victim's parents allege that she was subjected to mental and physical cruelty from her matrimonial family shortly after her marriage, despite her background as a central government official who previously served in the Income Tax Department.
Sections invoked in the case under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 include:
- Section 85, BNS: Subjecting a woman to cruelty by her husband or relatives of the husband.
- Section 108, BNS: Abetment of suicide.
"The investigation is actively underway to verify all claims made in the SDM complaint. Further statutory charges and legal procedures will depend on forensic analysis, post-mortem findings, and evidence emerging during the probe."