Mumbai Crime: Indian Navy man held for wife’s ‘suicide’

On October 11, the woman spoke to her father over the phone, and 10 minutes later, her husband called him back saying she had hanged herself. Representation pic

An Indian Navy staffer was arrested on October 19 for allegedly abetting the suicide of his wife. She had registered a case against the man just 24 hours before the alleged suicide on October 11, for beating her, with the Cuffe Parade police. The police have booked his family in the case and will be bringing them to Mumbai from their village in West Bengal.

What happened

Pooja Chaki, 23, allegedly died by suicide on October 11 at her house in Mumbai. Her father has registered a complaint against her husband Kalyan Chaki, 31, and his family. According to the complaint filed by Dr Tapan Mandal, his daughter Pooja married Kalyan on November 25, 2020, in West Bengal. In January 2021 Dr Mandal realised that his daughter was being harassed by her husband and in-laws.

In March, Pooja was beaten and abused by her husband and in-laws and Dr Mandal went to her village, Silinda, and brought her to his home at Chakdaha. After a few days Kalyan took Pooja back with him claiming they would be returning to his official residence in Navy Nagar, Mumbai.

But a couple of months later, Pooja and her husband returned to West Bengal. Pooja told her father that her husband abused and beat her up for petty reasons. In the month of May, Kalyan rejoined work in Mumbai. Dr Mandal claimed Pooja's in-laws demanded Rs 5 lakh from her to buy agricultural land. He said he gave them Rs 3 lakh.

In the month of September, Kalyan took Pooja to Mumbai. But within a few days, Dr Mandal learnt that she was being beaten up again. "My daughter told me her husband beat her badly, and once even put his leg on her neck. She begged me to come to Mumbai and take her to West Bengal. On October 10 too, she called me at night and was crying for help," said Dr Mandal.

Complaint before ‘suicide'

The same day, Pooja registered an offence against Kalyan Chaki with the Cuffe Parade police under IPC Sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) 504 (intent to provoke breach of peace). On October 11 Dr Mandal booked an air ticket for Pooja but as she was not vaccinated, she couldn't board the flight.

Dr Mandal said he later tried to get in touch with Pooja on October 11 but she did not answer the calls. Around 5.20 pm, he said he called on Kalyan's phone and asked to speak to Pooja. He said she spoke to him and said she had been sleeping and that's why didn't answer her phone.

But after 10 minutes, Dr Mandal said Kalyan called him and told him Pooja had hanged herself in the bedroom and he was taking her to the INHS Asvini hospital. Around 8pm, Kalyan called Dr Mandal and told him the doctor had pronounced her dead.

"Dr Mandal's family came to Mumbai and registered an offence under IPC Sections 304B (dowry death), 306 (abetment of suicide), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 34 (common intention) 504 (provoke breach of peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation) against Kalyan Chaki, his brother Karn and parents Krishna and Meethu," said Senior Inspector Rajkumar Dongre of the Cuffe Parade police station.