A 29-year-old married woman was found dead under suspicious circumstances at Gol Thanda village on Thursday night, police said. The deceased was identified as Banoth Meenakshi. Her body was found hanging inside her house in Tirumalayapalem mandal of Khammam district.
However, her family has accused her husband of murdering her and trying to make it appear as a case of suicide.
According to police, Meenakshi had been married to Shivaji (34), a contract employee in the electricity department, for the past 14 years.
Family members alleged that the couple had been facing marital problems for a long time and claimed that Meenakshi had earlier been subjected to both physical and mental harassment.
In their complaint, the family alleged that financial problems and an insurance policy in Meenakshi’s name could be linked to the case. They claimed the family was under a debt burden of nearly Rs 80 lakh and that Meenakshi had an insurance policy worth around Rs 1 crore.
The family further alleged that Shivaji wanted to claim the insurance money and had planned the murder. However, police said the insurance angle has not yet been confirmed and is part of the ongoing investigation.
Meanwhile, some videos allegedly showing Shivaji assaulting Meenakshi on earlier occasions have surfaced on social media. Police said they are verifying the authenticity of the videos and examining when and by whom they were recorded.
Sub-inspector K Jagadeesh said police are investigating the case from all possible angles, including allegations of domestic violence and suspicious death.
He said further sections would be added if evidence suggests homicide, adding that murder charges have not yet been invoked as the probe is still underway.