Rajkot: A 21-year-old woman, who was allegedly assaulted by her husband during a domestic dispute over the consumption of betel nut, died while undergoing treatment at a Rajkot hospital on Friday. The incident prompted police to upgrade the case from attempt to murder to murder.
Incident Details
The deceased, identified as Jyoti Solanki, sustained a serious head injury after she was allegedly attacked by her husband, Bhola Solanki, at their residence in Junagadh on June 8. Bhola, who was arrested following the incident, remains in police custody.
According to the complaint lodged by Jyoti's brother, Ramesh Parmar, the couple had eloped approximately 18 months ago and had been living together. The incident occurred on the evening of June 8 at their home located behind the Dharanagar Hudco Police Line.
Sequence of Events
Police reported that the couple had earlier spent the day at Jyoti's brother's house in the Sakkarbaug area, where they assisted with roof repair work. After returning home, an argument allegedly broke out when Bhola confronted Jyoti about consuming betel nut, despite having taken a religious vow not to do so.
“The argument escalated, and the accused allegedly assaulted his wife during the altercation,” said Hitesh Dhandhaliya, Deputy Superintendent of Police. According to investigators, Bhola allegedly struck Jyoti on the head with a metal wrist bracelet, leaving her critically injured. She reportedly lost consciousness and was first taken to a hospital in Junagadh. Subsequent medical examinations revealed severe brain injuries, following which she was referred to a hospital in Rajkot for specialized treatment.
Jyoti's family was informed of the incident later that night by the accused's relatives. Despite receiving treatment, she succumbed to her injuries on Friday.
Legal Action
Following her death, Junagadh C Division police added murder charges to the case. Police said preliminary investigations suggest that the dispute stemmed from a religious vow related to the consumption of betel nut.
“The couple belonged to the Devi Pujak community, where vows taken in the name of the deity are considered sacred. The argument is believed to have arisen over the alleged violation of such a vow,” said P P Jha, Police Inspector of C Division police station.
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