NEW DELHI: A 35-year-old man was beaten to death allegedly by his wife in outer Delhi's Narela following a quarrel over his drinking habits, police said on Sunday.
Javed, a welder by profession, was a drunkard and his wife Salma used to fight with him often over his drinking habits, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Outer North) Gaurav Sharma said.
On Saturday, Javed returned home in drunken state and had a quarrel with his wife who then beat him up, Sharma said. He went to bed afterwards and was found dead today at around 6 am by his younger brother Ajim (25), he added.
Sabra, the victim's mother alleged that her daughter-in-law used to hit and threaten her as well asserting that she was working with the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).
"On Saturday night, she told Javed to stop drinking and later hit him. I thought they would stop fighting so I went to my shop. When I came home, Javed was asleep and it was only in the morning that Ajim found out that his brother had died," Sabra said.
Ajim too accused Salma of killing Javed, the DCP said.
On the basis of Ajim's statement, a case of murder was registered against Salma and she was arrested, the police said.
Refuting Salma's claim, the DCW said that the accused was enrolled as a volunteer in one of its schemes.
"We runs a grassroots programme called 'Mahila Panchayat' where we encourage women leaders on the ground to create awareness on women's issues," a DCW official said.
"We have thousands of volunteers associated with us. Salma was neither a staffer of the DCW nor the Mahila Panchayat. She was just a volunteer with the Panchayat," the official added.
The official further said that Salma was fighting a court case against her husband who used to assault and abuse her in an inebriated state every night.
"We are not aware as to what happened that night. But we will investigate the matter and take necessary action as per law," the official said. The couple has three children-- two daughters and a son.