Following a heated argument on Sunday morning regarding the sale of their two-storey house in Noida’s Sector 30, a 62-year-old man allegedly strangled his wife to death. Subsequently, he engaged in an elaborate cover-up, placing the body in the bathroom, locking the door, and instructing the domestic help to stay away. Meanwhile, a broker arrived with two potential buyers, and the husband proceeded to give them a tour of the house while his wife’s lifeless body remained in the room. He remained concealed in a small storeroom on the first floor, equipped with cigarettes and a bottle of water, for approximately 10 hours before eventually being apprehended and arrested when the police arrived.
The deceased, Renu Sinha (61), was a lawyer at the Delhi High Court, and her husband, Nitin Nath Singh, was a former Indian Information Service (IIS) official. The couple had been married for 33 years, and their 32-year-old son worked as a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley in the US, visiting them infrequently.
Renu’s brother raised the alarm when he couldn’t reach her, leading to the discovery of her body in the house at 5 pm. This prompted suspicion about Nitin’s involvement, who had gone missing and turned off his mobile phone.
The couple had been in disagreement over the sale of their 3,200 sqft house, with Nitin having received Rs 55 lakh out of a total deal worth Rs 4.5 crore. Renu was not in favor of the sale, leading to their heated argument on Sunday morning.
Due to Renu’s health condition, which included bone cancer and pancreas inflammation, she needed to maintain the room temperature at 20-22 degrees Celsius. Her nose bled easily if not cared for properly. Nitin attacked her during their argument, leading to her tragic demise. He hid her body in the bathroom and continued with his activities, even showing the house to prospective buyers.
After the broker’s departure, Nitin locked all doors, took his wife’s belongings, and concealed himself in a storeroom on the first floor. He initially claimed to be at Lodhi Garden whenever someone called his phone and switched it off around 3.20 pm. A lookout circular was issued, and a team was dispatched to the Nepal border due to his possession of a passport.
Police remained at the house, conducting thorough investigations. They eventually discovered Nitin in the storeroom after breaking down several doors.
Nitin, a 1986 batch IIS officer who opted for voluntary retirement in 1998, had held senior positions in both government and private sectors. After his government service, he worked for Innodata, an American firm, until 2013, and later for the Indian Media Association (IMA). He had also launched a company called Storm Publication Private Limited, focused on medical publications, which was later shut down during the pandemic.
