Kanpur: A 27-year-old woman died under suspicious circumstances in Shatabdi Nagar Panki on Monday, while her husband fled the scene after her mother arrived and questioned him about the cause of death, police said on Tuesday. The deceased, Deepika Saini, lived on rent with her husband Shoeb Khan on the third floor of Ramganga Enclave in Shatabdi Nagar. The couple had a love marriage in Oct 2025. Shoeb worked as a truck driver in Ahmedabad.According to DCP West SM Qasim Abidi, neighbours reported that Shoeb returned home on Sunday. On Monday afternoon, a heated argument broke out between the couple. About two hours later, the house went quiet. Neighbours then allegedly saw Shoeb forcefully pushing the door, prompting them to intervene. On entering the house, they found Deepika lying unconscious on the bed.Neighbours informed Deepika’s mother, Chitra, a resident of Barra-8, who reached the spot along with other relatives. Police said the husband fled when discussions about informing the police began.DCP West S.M. Qasim Abidi, ADCP Kapil Dev, and Panki police station in-charge Manoj Kumar Singh conducted a spot inspection. A forensic team collected evidence from the scene.Police found marks of strangulation on Deepika’s neck, allegedly caused by a rope. However, the DCP said the possibility of suicide was also being examined. Some neighbours told police that Shoeb broke open the door and pulled Deepika down from a noose in another room before placing her on the bed. “In such circumstances, nothing can be said definitively at this stage,” the DCP said.The body has been sent for post-mortem, and police said the cause of death would be clear after the report. Further action will be taken based on the complaint filed by the woman’s mother, who has alleged dowry-related murder.Police said this was the second marriage for both Deepika and Shoeb. Deepika was earlier divorced and had two children—Rudra and Anirudh—from her first marriage. Police said four-year-old Rudra was present inside the house at the time of the incident, and information was gathered from him.Three police teams have been formed to trace the absconding husband, and the West Zone surveillance team has been alerted.
