Woman doctor found dead in Jalandhar, husband accused of affair, loans in her Name
A government doctor was found dead at her Jalandhar home, and police registered a case on her father's complaint. Her family has alleged abuse, unauthorised loans and an affair, while investigators await post-mortem and forensic findings.
The death of a woman doctor in Punjab's Jalandhar has sparked allegations of domestic abuse, financial fraud and an extramarital affair against her husband, with her family demanding his immediate arrest and a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Dr Meenakshi Sood, a government doctor posted in Kapurthala, was found dead at her residence in Jalandhar on Wednesday morning. Police have registered a case under Section 106 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) based on the statement of her father and have launched an investigation.
FAMILY ALLEGES HARASSMENT, FINANCIAL EXPLOITATION
The deceased's family has accused her husband, Dr Piyush Sood, who runs National Eye Care Hospital in Jalandhar, of subjecting her to years of mental and physical harassment. They have also alleged that he secretly took loans worth crores of rupees in her name and was involved in an extramarital relationship with a woman working at his hospital.
According to Meenakshi's father, Pramod Kumar, the couple married in October 2018. He claimed that a loan was taken in his daughter's name to purchase a Thar SUV and that she continued paying the instalments from her salary.
The family further alleged that Dr Piyush had taken loans amounting to around Rs 45 lakh in Meenakshi's name for the vehicle and hospital-related purposes. Matters worsened, they said, when she recently discovered that another loan of nearly Rs 2.5 crore was allegedly active in her name.
"She had gone to a bank while planning to buy a house and found that a loan of about Rs 2.5 crore existed in her name. The documents did not even carry her signatures," her father alleged, claiming the revelation caused her immense mental distress.
According to the family, Meenakshi had been living separately from her husband since July 2025 due to marital disputes and was considering filing for divorce.
CLAIMS OF ABUSE AND ALLEGED AFFAIR
Her parents also accused Dr Piyush of repeatedly assaulting her during their marriage. The victim's mother alleged that her son-in-law would often call after arguments, admit to beating Meenakshi and later apologise. The father further claimed that there had been an earlier attempt to strangulate his daughter.
The family has also alleged that Dr Piyush was involved in a relationship with a woman employed at his hospital. They claim Meenakshi became suspicious and examined CCTV footage from the hospital, which allegedly showed the two together. According to the family, the footage has been handed over to the police as part of the investigation.
Meanwhile, a purported CCTV clip allegedly showing Dr Piyush with a woman has surfaced on social media. The authenticity of the video has not been independently verified, and police have not commented on it.
POLICE PROBE UNDERWAY
Jalandhar Police said they received information about the incident through the control room on Wednesday morning. Officers reached the house in Kewal Vihar and found the doors locked from inside. Police said entry was gained after breaking a glass panel in the presence of local residents, following which Meenakshi's body was found lying on the floor.
Station House Officer Sushil Kumar of Police Station Division No. 6 said a case has been registered and legal formalities are underway. He added that the accused husband's phone was switched off and he had not yet been questioned.
Assistant Sub-Inspector Satpal, who was present during the post-mortem proceedings, said the investigation was initiated based on the statement of the victim's father.
FAMILY AWAITS POST-MORTEM FINDINGS
The victim's mother said the family was awaiting the post-mortem report and was not ruling out any possibility.
"We do not know whether it was suicide or whether something else happened. The post-mortem report will reveal the truth," she said.
The family has demanded a detailed probe into the case and strict action against anyone found responsible for Meenakshi's death.
Police said further investigation is underway and that the exact cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem report and forensic examination.