Mohali, Sept. 2 -- A 35-year-old woman was stabbed to death by her estranged husband at her rented accommodation in Zirakpur's Dashmesh Nagar on Tuesday morning after she refused to return to him, police said. The accused, identified as Ved Prakash Pathak, allegedly attacked the woman, Poonam Singh, after assaulting her live-in partner, Rajiv Rishi Raj, 54, during an argument. According to Raj's complaint to the police, Pathak had reached their house around 9.15am along with Poonam's brother, Bablu, and asked her to leave with him. When she refused, an argument broke out. Raj said he intervened, following which Pathak allegedly slapped and assaulted him. When Poonam stepped in to protect Raj, Pathak allegedly took out a knife from his bag and stabbed her in the chest. He allegedly stabbed her two to three more times before fleeing with the knife and bag. Poonam died on the spot. On being alerted, Zirakpur station house inspector Jasveer Singh reached the house and secured the scene. The victim's body was sent for post-mortem examination. The SHO said police teams have been formed to trace the accused and establish the sequence of events. Raj, who works with a private firm, told the police he had lost his first wife in 2007 and moved to Zirakpur in February 2022. He later came in contact with Poonam, who worked as his domestic help. Poonam allegedly told Raj that she had strained relations with Pathak and wanted to live with him. The two married with mutual consent in July 2022, although their marriage was not registered. Raj later learned that Poonam had not obtained a formal divorce from Pathak. The complainant stated that Pathak repeatedly asked Poonam to return to him, but she refused. He also began living in the same area. Police have registered the case against Pathak, a resident of Madhya Pradesh, under Section 103 (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS)....