BY PC Bureau
New Delhi, August 23, 2026: A 30-year-old Assistant Section Officer with the Ministry of Defence, who was three months pregnant, was found dead at her Dwarka residence on August 21, triggering allegations of sustained harassment by her husband and in-laws and a dispute over how the case was initially handled by police.
The deceased, Naziya Khanam, had married Ajm Ali Khan on April 11, 2026. Her father, Towab Khan, has alleged that his daughter repeatedly complained of mental and physical harassment by her husband, mother-in-law Samin Nisha, father-in-law Babar Ali Khan and other members of the matrimonial family.
The allegations are recorded in the FIR, while the accused family’s version and the circumstances of the death remain under investigation.
Father alleges repeated abuse
According to the FIR, Towab Khan told police that Naziya had repeatedly contacted her family and complained about the alleged treatment she was receiving at her marital home.
He alleged that her husband and in-laws abused and physically assaulted her and threatened to throw her out of the house or kill her.
Khanam’s father also said his daughter was three months pregnant when she died and that, despite her repeated complaints, there had been no apparent improvement in her husband’s behaviour.
The family has alleged that the harassment was connected, at least in part, to dowry demands and has questioned why provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act were not included in the initial FIR.
These allegations are being disputed or remain to be established through the investigation.
Husband’s account of the death
Naziya was reportedly taken to hospital in an unresponsive condition, where she was declared dead.
Her husband gave police a different account of what happened inside the house.
According to his statement, the couple had an argument before Naziya allegedly locked him in one room and went into another. He reportedly called their landlord, who reached the balcony and helped him out using a ladder.
The husband told police that he later looked through a window and found Naziya hanging from a ceiling fan with a chunni.
Police subsequently informed her family about the death.
The circumstances described in the husband’s account are now being examined alongside the allegations made by Naziya’s family.
Family alleges foul play
Towab Khan and Naziya’s brother later appeared before Executive Magistrate Dinesh Rana in Bijwasan and recorded their statements.
Her father alleged that his son-in-law was responsible for his daughter’s death and demanded strict action against him and other members of the matrimonial family.
The family has maintained that Naziya was killed by her in-laws, while the husband’s account, as recorded by police, indicates that he found her hanging.
At present, the available information does not establish the family’s allegation of murder. The post-mortem findings, forensic evidence and the investigation into the circumstances inside the house will be crucial in determining the cause and manner of death.
FIR filed under BNS provisions
Police have registered a case under Section 85 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), relating to cruelty by a husband or his relatives, and Section 108, relating to abetment of suicide.
Further investigation is underway.
The case has also triggered allegations from Naziya’s family regarding the conduct of the Delhi Police.
The family claims that despite raising dowry-related allegations, the Dowry Prohibition Act was not invoked in the initial FIR. They have also alleged that the father of one of the accused was formerly associated with the police and have questioned whether this influenced the handling of the case.
These claims have not been independently established.
Police dispute family’s initial account
The Dwarka police have offered a different account of the sequence of complaints.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police, Dwarka, said Naziya’s family members initially appeared before the concerned Executive Magistrate and submitted written statements.
According to the DCP, those statements did not contain any suspicion or allegation against members of Naziya’s matrimonial family.
The police said the situation changed on August 22, when Naziya’s parents again appeared before the concerned Sub-Divisional Magistrate and submitted another complaint. This subsequent complaint, according to the DCP, contained allegations against her husband and other members of her matrimonial family.
The distinction between the initial statements and the subsequent complaint is likely to form an important part of the investigation, particularly in determining when the allegations of harassment and suspected foul play were formally raised.
Family says husband is yet to be arrested
Naziya’s family has also alleged that more than 48 hours after her death, her husband remained at large and questioned why the accused had not been arrested.
The police have not indicated, based on the information currently available, whether an arrest has been made or whether investigators have determined that the evidence warrants arrest at this stage.
As the case involves allegations of cruelty and abetment of suicide, investigators are expected to examine the post-mortem findings, statements of relatives and other witnesses, evidence from the residence, digital communications and any earlier complaints made by Naziya.
Post-mortem and forensic evidence crucial
With conflicting accounts surrounding the death, the medical examination is likely to be central to the investigation.
Forensic experts will examine whether the injuries and other findings are consistent with hanging and whether there are indications of any prior assault or struggle.
Investigators will also need to establish the timeline between the reported argument, the alleged discovery of Naziya’s body and the family’s notification.
Any evidence of previous injuries, medical treatment, threatening messages, financial transactions or communications concerning dowry or domestic disputes could potentially shed light on the circumstances leading up to her death.
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Comparison with Twisha Sharma case
The case has also drawn comparisons with the death of Twisha Sharma, who was found hanging at her matrimonial home on May 12 after marrying Samarth Singh in December last year.
According to allegations recorded in that case, Samarth took Twisha to AIIMS Bhopal after claiming that she had hanged herself at home at around 10.20 p.m.
Twisha’s family also raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her death, prompting scrutiny and an investigation by the authorities.
The similarities between the two cases — young married women found hanging at their matrimonial homes and families subsequently raising allegations about the circumstances of their deaths — have drawn public attention. However, the two cases remain separate investigations and the circumstances of each must be established independently through evidence.
Investigation at a critical stage
Naziya Khanam’s death has now raised three competing questions: whether she died by suicide, whether she was subjected to sustained cruelty before her death, and whether there is evidence supporting her family’s allegation of foul play.
Police have registered a case based on the material currently available and said the investigation is continuing.
For the family, the central concern remains whether their allegations of harassment and dowry-related abuse were properly recorded and investigated. For the police, the immediate task is to reconcile the different statements given by the family, the husband’s account and the forensic evidence.
Until the post-mortem and other evidence are examined, it would be premature to conclude that the death was either suicide or murder.
What is not in dispute is that a young government officer, who was three months pregnant and had been married for just over four months, died at her matrimonial home. The investigation will now have to establish what happened inside that house and whether anyone should be held criminally responsible.
