Head constable suspended hours after killing wife; was booked for domestic violence earlier

Lucknow: A head constable posted in Lucknow was suspended late Sunday night after being accused of killing his wife during a domestic dispute, police said. The incident has left the couple's one-year-old son, Tanmay, without his mother, with relatives saying the child spent the night searching for her and crying, 'mama ko bulao'. Police identified the accused as head constable Himanshu Srivastava and the victim as Rashmi Srivastava. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Vikrant Vir said Himanshu allegedly attacked Rashmi on Sunday following an argument, striking her on the head with a pestle used for grinding spices. She suffered critical injuries and died, the officer said. Assistant Commissioner of Police (Mahanagar) Ankit Kumar said the accused has not offered an account of the motive so far. 'The accused has not said much during the interrogation as he has kept mum all through while questioning,' the ACP said. Rashmi's family alleged the killing followed years of domestic violence and alcohol abuse. Her brother, Saurabh, who reached Lucknow after the incident, said Rashmi had been facing prolonged marital distress and that Himanshu frequently drank, assaulted her and picked fights. He alleged the couple's relationship had deteriorated to the point where divorce was being considered, and that a family settlement had been reached earlier, but the behaviour did not change. The family said Rashmi had previously filed a domestic violence case against Himanshu in Jaunpur, which was later settled. About a year ago, the couple had a child, and relatives said they had hoped the baby's arrival would improve the relationship, but it did not. Relatives also described disturbing scenes after the alleged attack, claiming Himanshu stayed near Rashmi's body for some time and later stepped out carrying their son. Rashmi's brothers said they reached the residence around 3 pm, found her dead, questioned Himanshu and were dissatisfied with his explanations before informing police. Himanshu is originally from Nirala Nagar in Ayodhya, while Rashmi was from Malepura in Ambedkar Nagar. Married in 2015, they had been living in a rented house in Lucknow's Paper Mill area for about two-and-a-half years. Himanshu joined the police in 2011, was promoted to head constable last year and was posted at the Right to Information cell in the JCP (Law & Order) office in Daliganj. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Lucknow | Silver Rate in Lucknow | Bank Holidays in Lucknow | Public Holidays in Lucknow | Lucknow AQI | Weather in Lucknow | Petrol Price in Lucknow | Diesel Price in Lucknow | CNG Price in Lucknow | LPG Price in Lucknow Stay updated with the latest Lucknow news. Download the TOI App.