In a shocking case of self-defence turned deadly, a 32-year-old woman from Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh, allegedly choked a man to death after enduring years of sexual blackmail. The woman was arrested on Monday, two days after the body of Iqbal, a 38-year-old Zari Zardosi artisan, was found near his home.
A life of blackmail and fear
The woman told police that Iqbal had been blackmailing her for some time, forcing her into sexual acts by threatening to expose their encounters. She said, "I have little children, so I endured this. He blackmailed me into getting physical with him multiple times. I was tired of this."
The woman explained that Iqbal had visited her village as part of his work as an artisan. They exchanged phone numbers and began speaking regularly. Over time, their relationship became more strained as Iqbal used their communications to pressure her into intimate acts. She also claimed that when she threatened to tell her husband, Iqbal threatened to ruin her family by revealing recorded calls.
The woman’s patience ran out on the night of the crime. She claimed that Iqbal gave her two pills to make her husband fall asleep, allowing her to meet him later. After drugging her husband’s tea, she went to Iqbal’s house that evening, fearing that either she would die or kill him.
The woman said, "While going to his place, I thought that either I would die or I would kill him." Upon reaching Iqbal’s house, the situation escalated quickly. She described how Iqbal started getting intimate with her. "I held his hands apart and sat on his chest. Then I kept one hand on his mouth and choked him with the other," she recalled.
Once she was sure he was dead, she dragged his body to the staircase and returned home. "I was so upset with Iqbal. I had no other choice because I wanted to protect my family," she said.
Iqbal’s body was discovered days later, and the woman’s confession led to her arrest. She faces charges of murder.
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