Delhi woman jumps from third floor while ablaze over child custody stress

New Delhi: Authorities in West Delhi's Hari Nagar have initiated a thorough inquiry after a 23-year-old woman set herself on fire and plunged from a third-floor balcony. Investigators revealed that the extreme and public act of self-harm was born out of profound psychological despair tied to an unresolved, bitter custody battle over her young son.

 The police control room received an urgent alert on Wednesday reporting that a resident was falling through the air completely engulfed in flames. Local bystanders acted swiftly to douse the fire and rush the critically injured victim, identified as Laxmi, to the nearby Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital.

Despite their rapid intervention, medical staff declared her brought dead due to the catastrophic extent of her burn injuries.  A senior official from the Hari Nagar police station confirmed that a forensic team thoroughly scanned the site of the incident.

While the specialized team recovered critical material exhibits from the balcony, no suicide note was found anywhere on the premises.  "Statutory proceedings under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) have been launched to formally investigate the circumstances of this unnatural death,"

a senior police representative stated.  According to the official testimony provided by the deceased's father, Jahan Singh, Laxmi had been locked in a severe matrimonial dispute with her husband, Rajender, since 2023. Following their separation, she relocated to her parental home in Hari Nagar and worked at an Uttam Nagar apparel store.

However, she abruptly quit her job days before her death as her anxiety peaked over the long-term custody arrangements of her child. The family has not filed criminal complaints against any individual at this juncture