Allahabad High Court Grants Bail To Man Accused Of Killing Wife During Argument Over Property

News18

8 hours ago

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The man, believed to have left the house after killing his wife, was discovered nearly 15 hours later hiding inside a storeroom of the same house.
The Allahabad High Court has granted bail to Nitin Nath Singh, a retired Indian Information Service (IIS) officer accused of murdering his wife, Renu Sinha — a practising advocate at the Delhi High Court — at their Noida residence in September 2023.
Renu Sinha was found dead in the bathroom of her bungalow in Sector-30, Noida, on September 10, 2023. Her brother Ajay Kumar, a journalist, filed the complaint after she failed to respond to calls for over a day. Upon reaching the residence with a friend, Kumar found the house locked. Police were called, and after forcing entry, they discovered her body bearing multiple injuries. A post-mortem confirmed death by manual strangulation.
Her husband, Nitin Nath Singh, believed to have left the house, was discovered nearly 15 hours later hiding inside a storeroom of the same house. CCTV footage and witness accounts indicated he had never exited the premises. As per media reports, Singh had stocked the room with cigarettes and water and remained inside even as police, sniffer dogs, and a search team combed the house.
The prosecution alleged that Singh and his wife were involved in a property dispute. The couple had entered into a Rs 4.5 crore sale agreement for the Noida property and received Rs 55 lakh as advance. However, Renu reportedly opposed the deal later, especially after learning that Singh had accepted Rs 3 crore. The argument over the property sale is believed to have escalated, leading to her murder.
Witnesses, including domestic help and police officers, testified about the accused's strained relationship with his wife and son. Renu had earlier filed a 2016 FIR against Singh for domestic violence. The police also cited Singh's dual passports — Indian and British — to flag him as a flight risk.
Singh's counsel, however, alleged a conspiracy by the informant brother-in-law Ajay Kumar, claiming he wanted the property transferred to his name. They argued the arrest was manipulated and that Singh had been cooperating with the authorities.
The bench of Justice Siddharth, while noting the seriousness of the charges, observed that Singh is a senior citizen, not a hardened criminal, and had already spent over nine months in custody. Cited Article 21 of the Constitution and recent Supreme Court guidelines on jail overcrowding to extend bail.
As conditions for bail, court directed Singh to surrender both passports, barred him from leaving India without permission, and warned against tampering with evidence. Court further directed that he must attend all trial hearings without seeking adjournments when witnesses are present. Any violation could lead to cancellation of bail.