Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Ashish Shrivastava, the husband of Priyanka, a woman from Lucknow found dead under mysterious circumstances in Thailand, has alleged that his in-laws want to extort money from him. His charge came days after he was accused of Priyanka’s murder by her family.
Denying the allegations, he said his in-laws were trying to extort Rs 25 lakh from him. “Priyanka’s family have ulterior motives and are using baseless accusations to malign my reputation,” Ashish said.
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Priyanka was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a hotel in Thailand’s Pattaya where she was on holiday with Ashish and their son. Priyanka’s father alleged that her daughter was killed by Ashish as he had an affair with another woman.
Speaking to India Today TV, Ashish, a doctor, recalled the fateful night and said that both he and Priyanka had consumed alcohol.
“Around midnight, Priyanka said she would have a bath before going to sleep. I took my child downstairs as he wanted to eat something. When we returned, we found Priyanka’s body floating in the bathtub. I immediately sought help from the hotel staff and rushed her to the hospital, where the doctors declared her dead,” Ashish said.
He also stated that the Thai police conducted an investigation and temporarily confiscated his passport. He was only allowed to return to India after receiving clearance from the authorities. He also said he paid Rs 1 lakh for Priyanka’s body to be brought to India.
“Priyanka’s family did not assist him during this period and did not even show up in Thailand,” he said.
Responding to allegations from Priyanka’s family that he was responsible for her death, Ashish said, “Accusations against me are part of an attempt to extort Rs 25 lakh. Priyanka’s family had introduced her to alcohol and were fully aware of her drinking habits”.
Ashish dismissed their claim that Priyanka was afraid of water by stating that he has video evidence of her engaging in adventurous water sports with him during their trips. “If I wanted to harm her, why would I bring her to Thailand? I am a doctor, not a murderer,” he said.
Ashish’s father also defended him and said that despite having all the information, Priyanka’s family did not make any effort to visit Thailand to investigate her death. “Instead, they allegedly made repeated enquiries and contacted the embassy to conduct surveillance on Ashish,” he said.
Priyanka’s father, Satyanarayan Sharma, alleged that Ashish harassed her since their marriage in 2017. Satyanarayan also alleged that Ashish used to torture Priyanka both physically and mentally.
He claimed that Priyanka had earlier also lodged a harassment case against Ashish at the police station.
Police investigation into the matter is underway.
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
