Delhi wife murder: Accused Saleem arrested at Moradabad in 48 hours
Synopsis
A Delhi man accused of stabbing his wife to death with a pair of scissors fled through six cities across Uttar Pradesh — only to be caught at Moradabad Railway Station within 48 hours. The swift arrest, driven by CCTV analysis and technical surveillance, underscores how quickly urban fugitives can be tracked when multi-agency coordination clicks.
Key Takeaways
Saleem , 52 , was arrested at Moradabad Railway Station, Uttar Pradesh , within 48 hours of allegedly murdering his wife on 16 July .
The victim, a 45-year-old woman, was found with grievous injuries at Gautampuri, Gali No.
9, Seelampur and was declared brought dead at JPC Hospital .
The alleged murder weapon — a pair of scissors — and blood-stained clothes were recovered from the accused.
The accused allegedly fled through Anand Vihar, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Lucknow before being traced back to Moradabad.
The investigation team was led by Inspector Narpal Singh under ACP Seelampur Malkiyat Singh ; further probe is ongoing.
Delhi Police arrested Saleem, a 52-year-old man accused of murdering his wife in the Seelampur area of New Delhi, from Moradabad Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh — cracking the case within 48 hours of the crime, officials said on Sunday, 19 July. The victim, a 45-year-old woman, was found with grievous injuries at her residence in Gautampuri, Gali No. 9, and was declared dead on arrival at hospital.
How the Crime Came to Light
The incident was reported on 16 July at approximately 7:32 pm, when Police Station Seelampur received information about the assault. Officers who rushed to the third-floor residence found the woman lying in a pool of blood. She was immediately transported to JPC Hospital, where doctors declared her brought dead.
Specialists from the Crime Team and the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) subsequently visited the scene, collecting physical and forensic evidence. The body was later transferred to GTB Hospital for post-mortem examination, and a formal case was registered at Police Station Seelampur.
The Hunt Across Multiple Cities
Investigators quickly identified the victim's husband, Saleem, as the prime suspect after he went missing immediately following the incident. A dedicated police team was constituted under Inspector Narpal Singh, comprising Inspector Abhishek, Sub-Inspector Sudhanshu, Head Constables Navneesh, Krishan and Manish, and Constable Sachin — all operating under the supervision of ACP Seelampur Malkiyat Singh.
The team analysed CCTV footage from multiple locations, cross-referenced technical evidence, and leveraged human intelligence inputs to track the suspect's movements. According to officials, Saleem had travelled through Anand Vihar, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur and Lucknow in an attempt to evade arrest before looping back toward Moradabad, where he was apprehended.
What the Accused Allegedly Confessed
During sustained interrogation, Saleem allegedly confessed to the killing. He told investigators that his wife had previously worked at a garment factory and that he had long harboured suspicions about her having an illicit relationship with a co-worker — suspicions that, according to police, had repeatedly triggered domestic disputes between the couple.
On 16 July, a fresh argument over the same issue allegedly escalated into violence. According to his statement, Saleem attacked his wife in a fit of rage using a pair of scissors, inflicting multiple injuries. Believing she had died after she stopped moving, he allegedly locked the house and fled. Police subsequently recovered the alleged murder weapon — the scissors — along with blood-stained clothing from his possession.
Key Developments in the Investigation
The swift arrest has been attributed to coordinated technical surveillance and sustained ground intelligence. Officials noted that the accused's repeated change of locations across at least six cities underscored the scale of the operation required to trace him. Further investigation into the case is continuing, police said.
Point of View
But the case also surfaces a grimmer pattern: domestic disputes over suspected infidelity remain among the most common triggers for intimate-partner homicide in Indian cities. The accused's flight through six cities before doubling back to Moradabad suggests panic rather than planning — and raises questions about whether earlier intervention in the couple's documented disputes could have prevented the killing. Police deserve credit for the swift arrest; the harder question is what support systems, if any, existed for the victim.
NationPress
20 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was arrested in the Seelampur wife murder case?
The arrested accused is Saleem, a 52-year-old man and the husband of the victim. He was apprehended at Moradabad Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh on 19 July, within 48 hours of the alleged murder on 16 July.
What happened in the Seelampur murder case on 16 July?
On 16 July at around 7:32 pm, a 45-year-old woman was found with grievous injuries on the third floor of a house in Gautampuri, Gali No. 9, Seelampur. She was rushed to JPC Hospital, where she was declared brought dead.
What was the alleged motive behind the killing?
According to police, the accused allegedly confessed that he had long suspected his wife of having an illicit relationship with a co-worker from the garment factory where she had previously worked. Investigators say this suspicion had repeatedly caused domestic disputes, and a fresh argument on 16 July allegedly escalated into the fatal attack.
How did Delhi Police trace the accused so quickly?
The police team analysed CCTV footage from multiple locations, used technical surveillance, and acted on human intelligence inputs to track Saleem's movements across Anand Vihar, Moradabad, Rampur, Bareilly, Shahjahanpur, and Lucknow before arresting him at Moradabad Railway Station.
What evidence was recovered from the accused?
Police recovered the alleged murder weapon — a pair of scissors — along with blood-stained clothing from Saleem's possession at the time of his arrest. Forensic evidence was also collected from the crime scene by the Crime Team and FSL.
