Lucknow: Instagram envy triggers man strangle his wife in front of kids inside car; police say she had blocked him

A 37-year-old entrepreneur hailing from Lucknow allegedly strangled his wife in front of their two children within the confines of his SUV.

The tragic incident unfolded on the Purvanchal Expressway in Sultanpur on Sunday morning.

The motives behind this shocking event seem to stem from the husband’s deep-rooted feelings of inadequacy, triggered by his wife’s considerable following on Instagram, as per the authorities.

The Instagram account of the deceased, currently set to private, awaits scrutiny from law enforcement. It has been revealed that the victim had blocked her husband from accessing her account, a move that further exacerbated his sense of insecurity.

The accused nurtured suspicions that, in his absence, some of her social media admirers might seek her out, injecting strain into their marital bond, the police have stated.

Adding more insight into the case, Praveen Kumar Yadav, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kurebhar, shared, “The alleged perpetrator operated a travel agency, while his wife was a homemaker. The couple was raising a 12-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son.”

The locked and private Instagram account of the victim remains pending investigation by the authorities.

Her act of blocking her spouse on the platform seems to have escalated his insecurity. The accused’s apprehensions of potential visits from admirers on her social media, during his absence, appear to have contributed to the deteriorating state of their relationship, according to law enforcement sources.

Delving deeper into the narrative, SHO Praveen Kumar Yadav stated, “The accused has provided a chronology of events. The couple ostensibly set out for Rae Bareli on that ill-fated Sunday morning. However, they deviated from their course and veered onto the Purvanchal Expressway. At approximately 5 am, the accused brought the vehicle to a halt near an intersection in Sultanpur. A heated altercation ensued between the couple.”

In an unfortunate surge of anger, the husband allegedly strangled his wife. Deeply traumatized children were left in tears. The accused subsequently locked himself within his SUV.

It came light after a patrolling team from UPEIDA came across the suspiciously parked vehicle. Without delay, they notified the higher authorities and the nearest police station.

Responding swiftly to the alert, law enforcement personnel reached the scene of the tragedy. It was the couple’s daughter who ultimately narrated the whole incident to police.

Subsequently, the accused was taken into custody.