Murdered Delhi journalist’s mother arrested

RANCHI - The mother of Nirupama Pathak, a Delhi journalist found dead in her Jharkhand home, was arrested Monday on suspicion of being linked to the killing, police said. The young woman’s father and brother are being quizzed over what some feel was a “honour killing”.

“We have arrested Sudha Devi and are interrogating the journalist’s

father and brother. The arrest has been made on circumstantial evidence,” Superintendent of Police (Koderma) G. Kranti Kumar told IANS. Her family home is in Koderma, around 200 km from here.

The family members are suspects in the murder as they have been changing their statements frequently, the official said.

“We are interrogating the family who are suspects in the murder. We will arrest other people also if we get evidence,” Kumar said.

“They are frequently changing their statements. First, her mother said she died due to electrocution. Later the family members produced a suicide note and said she killed herself by hanging from the ceiling fan. The post-mortem says she was murdered by smothering. It also revealed that she was 10-12 weeks pregnant,” the official said.

Nirupama, 23, was a reporter in a New Delhi-based newspaper. She had come home in Koderma district April 19 and was due to return April 28. But her reservation was cancelled. She was was found dead April 29.

Nirupama was allegedly having an affair with her former batchmate in New Delhi - a relationship her parents reportedly did not approve of.

The 23-year-old had earlier done a diploma from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication (IIMC) in the national capital.