Pregnant Defence Ministry Officer Found Dead in Delhi; Family Alleges Harassment by Husband and In-Laws, FIR Registered

New Delhi: A 30-year-old Assistant Section Officer with the Ministry of Defence, identified as Nazia Khanam, was found dead at her residence in Delhi’s Dwarka on Friday, August 21. She was three months pregnant at the time of her death, according to reports.

Khanam had married Mohammad Azam Ali Khan, a supply chain manager based in Gurgaon, on April 11, 2026. Her family has alleged that shortly after the marriage she faced continuous mental and physical harassment from her husband, mother-in-law Sameen Nisha, father-in-law Babar Ali Khan, and other members of the matrimonial family, as per reports. They claimed she was subjected to abuse, physical assault, and threats of eviction or worse, and that she had repeatedly informed her parents about the mistreatment, with no improvement.

According to police, a PCR call reporting an alleged suicide was received around 4:21 pm on August 21 at Sector 23 police station. Officers reached the house in Bharthal village, took the body into possession, informed the sub-divisional magistrate, and shifted it to the mortuary at Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital.

The husband told police that the couple had visited a hospital for a checkup that day. After returning home, they argued. He claimed she locked him in one room and herself in another; he later found her hanging (accounts vary between from a window or from a ceiling fan with a chunni). Police noted that family members initially recorded statements before the executive magistrate on August 21 without raising suspicions against the husband or in-laws. The following day, her parents, including father Tawab (Towab) Khan, submitted a fresh complaint alleging cruelty and harassment that allegedly drove her to take the extreme step. They have also reportedly expressed suspicion that the death may not have been a suicide and have sought videography of the post-mortem and preservation of evidence.

Based on the subsequent complaint, Delhi Police registered an FIR at Sector 23 police station under Sections 85 (cruelty by husband or relatives) and 108 (abetment of suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The family has demanded that provisions related to dowry death also be added. Reports said the husband is currently absconding. Investigation is ongoing, with further action to depend on the post-mortem report, statements, and evidence recovered from the scene.