New Delhi, Sep 18 (IANS): A 35-year-old woman was allegedly strangled to death by her husband in northeast Delhi over suspicion of an illicit relationship, an official said on Monday.

Sharing the details, police said that on September 17 (Sunday) at 8:08 p.m. a call was received regarding the murder of a woman at her house in the Khajuri Khas area following which a police team was dispatched for the spot.

Upon arriving at the scene, a woman's lifeless body was discovered beneath the bed, lying face down. The deceased was identified as Draupadi by her 15-year-old daughter. Bloodstains were visible in the room.

“The deceased's daughter mentioned that her stepfather, Sunil, had been missing since September 16, after locking the door to their room. A local inquiry revealed that Sunil and Draupadi engaged in frequent altercations,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey.

Draupadi was last seen alive at around 12:30 noon on September 16 by her daughter. “The locked room was subsequently opened in the presence of the landlord, revealing the lifeless body,” said the DCP.

“The deceased had an injury on her forehead, and a scarf was wrapped around her neck,” said the DCP.

During the initial probe, it was discovered that Draupadi's initial marriage was to Jyotish Yadav, with whom she had four children. The other three children reside with Jyotish Yadav in Madhepura, Bihar.

“Draupadi retained custody of one daughter and had been living with her second husband, Sunil, for the past seven years. They did not have any children together,” said the DCP.

“Recently, Sunil, her second husband, suspected her of having an illicit relationship with another man, leading to frequent arguments between the couple,” said the DCP, adding that efforts are underway to locate Sunil, who is the primary suspect and is on the run.