A domestic dispute turned violent in Gwalior's Jankaganj police station area after a husband attacked his wife with a knife, suspecting she was having an affair with someone she chatted with on Instagram. The woman was left severely injured and rushed to hospital, while police have taken the accused husband into custody for questioning. The couple, police said, had married just four months earlier in a love marriage.
A Night Attack While She Slept at Her Parents' Home
The injured woman has been identified as Nisha Ahirwar, whose parental home lies in the Bawan Payega locality within the Jankaganj police station limits. According to police, Nisha had recently had a quarrel with her husband, Vikas Pal, after which she had been staying with her family. On Sunday night, while she was asleep at her parents' house, an intoxicated Vikas turned up there. In a fit of rage, he first chopped off her hair and then pulled out a knife and attacked her. The assault left Nisha with deep wounds on her hand, back and face. Vikas fled the spot immediately after the attack, prompting a police search for him.
Instagram Chats at the Centre of the Suspicion
During questioning, it emerged that Vikas suspected Nisha of chatting with another man on Instagram and believed she was having an affair with him. Police have not said whether that alleged affair was ever confirmed or was based purely on suspicion, but it was this doubt over her Instagram conversations that appears to have fuelled Vikas's anger in the days leading up to the attack, which finally erupted into violence on Sunday night.
A Love Marriage Only Four Months Old, Opposed by Both Families
Police said Vikas earns his living through manual labour and by running a handcart, and he hails from the Gol Pahadiya area. He and Nisha had married roughly four months ago in a love marriage that neither family had approved of. Despite the opposition, the couple went ahead with the wedding, but cracks in the relationship appeared within just a few months, culminating in Sunday night's violent assault.
Who Was Home When the Attack Happened
At the time of the attack, Nisha's sisters were present at the house, while her mother, Kranti, had gone out to the market. Once news of the assault spread, neighbours gathered and police were alerted, prompting a team to rush to the spot.
Hospitalised and Stable, Accused in Custody
Given the severity of her injuries, Nisha was rushed to the trauma centre of Jaya Arogya Hospital, where she is being treated under medical supervision. Doctors there are treating the wound to her face along with the injuries to her hand and back, and her condition is being watched closely given how serious the assault was. She is currently said to be stable. Police have detained Vikas Pal and are questioning him at length about the incident.
