A pregnant woman was allegedly stabbed to death by her former live-in partner in Delhi before her husband overpowered the attacker and killed him.
The incident took place in Delhi's Nabi Karim area around 10:15 pm on Saturday when 22-year-old Shalini was with her husband, Aakash, 23, on their way to meet Shalini's mother on Qutub Road, PTI reported.
Out of nowhere, Aashu appeared and tried to stab Aakash, who managed to dodge the first blow. Aashu then turned towards Shalini, who was seated in an e-rickshaw, and stabbed her multiple times, police said.
When the attacker didn’t stop, Aakash allegedly overpowered Aashu, snatched the knife, and struck back. Soon after, both Shalini and Aashu were taken to the hospital, where doctors declared them dead on arrival. Aakash is currently undergoing treatment for stab wounds. Police have registered a case under Sections 103(1) and 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said that Shalini, 22, had two children and was also expecting another child at the time of the attack. Local residents were alarmed by the sudden violence and called emergency services. Shalini’s brother, Rohit, also assisted in taking the injured to the hospital.
Preliminary inquiries suggest that Shalini’s relationship with Aashu had been strained after she chose to reconcile with her husband. She had previously lived with Aashu outside Delhi during a separation from Aakash. Investigators say the motive may be linked to Aashu’s anger over Shalini’s decision to return to her marriage.
Sheila, Shalini’s mother, told authorities that her daughter was pregnant, and there was a dispute over the paternity of the unborn child. Aashu claimed he was the father, while Aakash did not accept this. This disagreement allegedly fuelled confrontations between the two men.
Aashu was a listed Bad Character (BC) of Nabi Karim Police Station and had previous criminal records. Aakash, too, has three past criminal involvements," police said. Both individuals had been on police radar in separate matters before this incident. Neither man had any active warrants, but their history is being evaluated.
Police confirmed that Shalini was pregnant at the time of her death. The exact gestational stage remains under examination. Officials are coordinating with medical personnel to gather further forensic information.