New details of the quarrel between the ex-minister of Kazakhstan and his wife, after which he killed her, have become known

Juliette Morgan
New details of the quarrel between the ex-minister of Kazakhstan and his wife, after which he killed her, have become known

On the night of November 8-9, 2023, the former Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Kuandyk Bishimbayev beat his wife Saltanat Nukenova to death. Her death is widely discussed on social networks, with many demanding severe punishment for her husband, who remains the only accused.

Now new details are being revealed about that evening, which became Saltanat’s last. Then the couple attended a Dima Bilan concert, after which they had a quarrel. Kuandyk Bishimbayev himself states that he cannot name the reason for the discord, since he does not remember it, but Saltanat’s friend, Aida, said that a woman may be involved in the case. According to Aida, at the entrance to the hall the couple encountered a girl named Indira Asanbaeva: she not only greeted the former minister, but kissed him on the cheek. Aida says that Kuandykh introduced Indira to his wife as a former colleague, and then disappeared somewhere for half an hour and returned to the hall only half an hour later, already with a glass of champagne. According to Aida, he began to explain something to his wife, whose face suddenly changed. Aida asked both of them what the reason for the quarrel was, but no one answered her. After some time, Saltanat began to cry, got up and went to the exit. The husband followed her.

This was the last time Aida saw her friend alive. She believes that there was a connection between Kuandyk Bishimbayev and Indira Asanbaeva, since the former minister was repeatedly accused of infidelity. According to Aida, she herself personally met him several times in the company of unfamiliar girls.

As a result, Indira Asanbaeva found herself under the close attention of social network users. They began to persecute her and accuse her of being the indirect cause of Saltanat’s murder. Indira herself stated that she has no connection with Kuandyk Bishimbayev. She calls herself a victim because he is trying to justify himself at her expense. “I am extremely uncomfortable with the consequences of the noisy event. Defendant Bishimbayev mentioned my first and last name in court, introducing me as the person he greeted at the CDC Kazakhstan ''. I was at the Dima Bilan concert on November 8, 2023 in the company of a friend. In the hall of the hall I met many acquaintances, including the defendant Bishimbayev, whom I greeted politely, like everyone else, using generally accepted greetings. I am the mother of two adult daughters, one of which she is a minor,” Indira said on social media.

According to her, she already has enough problems in her family, but this did not save her from indignant comments from users who are sure that these accusations did not arise out of nowhere: “Before, you had to think about children! Maybe your husband believed, but not the people. The girl is not alive!", "If they had not had a love affair, Bishimbayev would never have called an unmarried woman after the concert," commentators are sure. Telegram channels also note that Indira herself is divorced and spends her free time in clubs and bars.

Салтанат Нукенова/Фото: Личный архив

Let us remind you that Kuvandyk Bishimbayev is accused of murdering his wife. It is reported that he beat her in a restaurant; in total, he beat her for at least eight hours. During this time, no one came to her aid. When the accused realized that his wife was not showing signs of life, he tried to hide his crime and asked his brother to take his wife’s phone home. Instead of calling an ambulance or other emergency services, the man called a psychic friend who said that the girl would wake up and there was no reason to panic.

In Kazakhstan, this case has become very resonant, flash mobs are organized on social networks in support of victims of domestic violence, and the public fears that the former Minister of Economy will be able to escape punishment due to his high status.

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