KODERMA, Jharkhand: Police today arrested the mother of Delhi-based journalist Nirupama Pathak, who was found dead at her home here, even as it was probing if it was a case of honour killing.
Pathak's mother, Subha, was arrested on murder charges.
Earlier, Subha and her husband Dharmesh were detained for questioning after the post mortem report indicated that Nirupama's death was caused by asphyxia as a result of smothering, SP Kranti Kumar said.
"We have arrested her under Section 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence) and 120 b (criminal conspiracy) of IPC based on circumstantial evidence," Kumar said.
Asked whether it was a case of honour killing, the SP said, "The matter is under investigation."
According to the post mortem report there was a ligature mark around her neck pointing to strangulation with a rope.
He said the police were misled by the family who had said Nirupama died of electrocution on April 29.
The police were also investigating whether her father, who was a bank employee in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district, was at home at the time of the incident.
The parents of the 22-year-old journalist were reportedly opposed to her marrying Priyabhanshu Ranjan, her batch mate at IIMC, who belongs to another caste.
Earlier report ( IANS ):
Family hand suspected in Delhi scribe's murder
RANCHI: Family members of Nirupama Pathak, a Delhi journalist found dead in her Jharkhand home last week, are suspects in the murder as they are changing their statements frequently, police said.
"We are interrogating the family members who are suspects in the murder. We will arrest them if we get any evidence," Superintendent of Police (Koderma) G. Kranti Kumar told IANS over telephone. Her family home is in Koderma, around 200 km from here.
"They are frequently changing their statements. First, her mother said she died due to electrocution. Later the family members produced a suicide note and said she killed herself by hanging from the ceiling fan. The post-mortem says she was murdered by smothering. It also revealed that she was 10-12 weeks pregnant," the official said.
Nirupama, 23, worked as a reporter in a New Delhi-based newspaper. She had come home in Koderma district April 19 and was due to return April 28. But her reservation was cancelled. She was was found dead April 29.
Nirupama was allegedly having an affair with her former batchmate in New Delhi - a relationship her parents reportedly did not approve of.
The 23-year-old had earlier done a diploma from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) in the national capital.
