Shailza was being stalked by the accused, claim family members

Body handed over to them for performing last rites

Shailza Dwivedi.

Family members of 35-year-old Shailza Dwivedi, wife of an Army Major who was found murdered, alleged that she was being stalked by her husband’s colleague, Nikhil Rai Handa while he was posted at Dimapur in Nagaland.

In 2017-18, she was among the top finalists in a beauty pageant organised for married women. The body was handed over to her family, after legal formalities at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Hospital, who took it to Amritsar in Punjab for her last rites.

Younger brother of the victim told that the accused and his brother-in-law were posted in Dimapur, Nagaland where they became friends. They often met families of all other officers of the unit at the Army mess during get-togethers.

“In one such common gatherings, Major Handa became friends of my sister. But Mr. Handa mistook my sister’s friendly behaviour as a liking for him,” said victim’s brother, a criminal lawyer from Amritsar.

“My brother-in-law had suspected his intention and had barred him from attending their house parties. But he was constantly stalking her when she was in Dimapur and continued stalking her even when she left Dimapur after her husband transfer,” he said.

Shifted to Amritsar

Shailzahad shifted to Amritsar with her husband Amit, earlier this month. Amit was undergoing a training before heading off to Sudan while Shailza was planning to settle down with her parents. The couple had bought a new house at Amritsar and had recently held a friends’ get together in Amritsar. “She [Shailza] had some problem in her ankle and had visited the Army base hospital in Amritsar. However, she was referred to a Delhi hospital for better treatment. As Amit was also in Delhi, she preferred coming along with her husband,” he added.

She had come to the Army base hospital for an MRI for her ankle. Family members say that the suspect had gone to the same hospital on the pretext of getting his son treated. The victim’s brother said that Shailza and Amit had a love marriage and were married for 11 years now. They have a six-year-old son and were leading a happy life.