Disguised as a Sadhu, estranged husband kills wife with hammer in South Delhi

A 60-year-old estranged husband, who arrived in Delhi from Bihar disguised as a sadhu, allegedly bludgeoned his wife to death in a pre-planned attack in Neb Sarai area of South Delhi, police said on Wednesday.

The accused, identified as Pramod Jha, allegedly attacked his 50-year-old wife, Kiran Jha, inside her residence in the early hours of Wednesday.

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Ankit Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), said, “We received a PCR call around 4:09 am informing us that Kiran, who worked as a caregiver for patients, was found lying in a pool of blood by her daughter-in-law.”

According to police, Pramod had travelled from his native village, Chidiabad in Bihar’s Munger district, on Friday after nearly a decade-long separation from his wife.
“He allegedly impersonated a sadhu to mislead family members and gain access to the house,” the DCP added.

Kiran had been living separately from her husband for the past 10 years due to repeated incidents of domestic violence. She was residing with her son Durgesh, daughter-in-law Kamal Jha, and granddaughter in Neb Sarai.

The DCP further stated that Durgesh currently works for a microfinance company in Darbhanga, Bihar.

Preliminary investigation revealed that Pramod had no stable source of income and had sold off his ancestral property. He had been pressuring Kiran to return to Bihar and earn money, a demand she consistently refused.

“When spoken to, Kiran’s daughter Roma alleged that her father used to abuse her mother during their marriage. This prompted Kiran to leave him and live separately in Delhi,” the officer said.

Roma also told police that the family had visited Bihar about two months ago for a funeral, during which Pramod appeared to have renounced violence.

“Taking advantage of this false impression, he came to Delhi on Friday and stayed with us. On the intervening night of Tuesday and Wednesday, he killed my mother after she again refused to accompany him back to Bihar,” Roma alleged.

As part of the investigation, a crime team along with forensic experts visited the scene and recovered the weapon of offence — a hammer — from inside the room.

Investigators also examined footage from a Delhi government CCTV camera installed in front of the building, which reportedly showed Pramod leaving the premises around 12:50 am after changing his clothes.

Based on technical surveillance and local inputs, police have launched a manhunt for the accused, who is currently absconding.

“Teams have been dispatched to railway stations and bus terminals to track his movements. We are working on multiple leads and are confident of arresting him soon,” the officer added.

A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) at the Neb Sarai Police Station, and further investigation is underway.