Newlywed woman found dead in Mussoorie homestay, husband under probe
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
P. Radha Gayatri, 27, a newlywed from east Delhi, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in a homestay room in Mussoorie on Sunday, 15 June 2025, turning what was planned as a post-wedding vacation into a tragedy. Her husband, Saumya Sricharan, raised the alarm after discovering her unconscious on the floor of their room at Kiyana Homestay in Tipridhar, on the Mussoorie-Dhanolti road. Police have launched a comprehensive investigation and are awaiting post-mortem and forensic results before establishing the cause of death.
How the Incident Came to Light
The Mussoorie police control room (112) received a distress call at around 7 am on Sunday reporting that a woman at the homestay was unresponsive. A police team and a 108 ambulance service rushed to the scene. Rakesh Kumar, the pharmacist accompanying the ambulance, examined Gayatri and declared her dead at the spot.
According to her husband's statement to police, the couple had consumed alcohol during the night and retired to sleep at around 3.30 am. When he woke up later that morning, he found his wife lying unconscious on the floor with blood flowing from her nose and no signs of movement. He immediately alerted homestay staff, who contacted the authorities.
Evidence Recovered from the Scene
A forensic field unit from Dehradun conducted a detailed inspection of the room alongside police personnel. The deceased was reportedly found lying on the floor, and bloodstains were observed on a bedsheet. Two empty liquor bottles and some food items were also recovered from the room.
The entire scene was documented through videography and photography. Multiple samples and pieces of evidence were collected by the forensic team for laboratory analysis. The thoroughness of the documentation reflects the sensitive and legally significant nature of the case.
Background of the Couple
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the couple had married on 8 November 2025. Saumya Sricharan was employed with an IT company in Pune, while Gayatri worked for a company in Gurugram. Both families are originally from Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. The trip to Mussoorie had reportedly been planned as a post-wedding holiday.
The couple had arrived in Rishikesh from Delhi on 13 June and checked into the Kiyana Homestay at around 11.30 pm on 14 June. Following the incident, Gayatri's in-laws reached Mussoorie, while her parents were expected to travel from Visakhapatnam later that night.
Official Response and Ongoing Investigation
Given the sensitive nature of the case, inquest proceedings (panchnama) were conducted in the presence of the Executive Magistrate and the Naib Tehsildar. The body was subsequently sent to Coronation Hospital in Dehradun, where a panel of doctors has been asked to carry out the post-mortem examination — a procedure being videographed in its entirety.
Mussoorie Station House Officer (SHO) Devendra Chauhan stated that the exact cause of death remains unclear and that a clearer picture would emerge only after the post-mortem report and forensic findings are received. According to Chauhan, police are investigating the case from all possible angles, including natural causes and underlying health-related issues. No arrest has been made so far.