‘They Called Her Manhoos’: Family Alleges Mental, Physical Harassment In Dehradun Lecturer Srishti Kandari's Death Case

Published 1 August 2026 · india

‘They Called Her Manhoos’: Family Alleges Mental, Physical Harassment In Dehradun Lecturer Srishti Kandari's Death Case Reported By, Last Updated: August 01, 2026, 16:24 IST

‘They Called Her Manhoos’: Family Alleges Mental, Physical Harassment In Dehradun Lecturer Srishti Kandari's Death Case Reported By, Last Updated: August 01, 2026, 16:24 IST A final video, unanswered calls and a brother's account have raised fresh questions over Uttarakhand lecturer Srishti Kandari's death as the state orders a CB-CID investigation. Rapid Read News18 Thirty-year-old Srishti Kandari, a government school lecturer from Srinagar Garhwal, Uttarakhand was found dead at her in-laws’ residence in Harrawala under Dehradun’s Doiwala area on July 29, barely eight months after marrying Saurabh Khatri, a government employee, in November last year. Before her death, Srishti sent an emotional video message to her mother, alleging that she had been subjected to continuous mental harassment by her husband’s family. Based on a complaint filed by her mother, police have registered a case, while the family has disputed the circumstances surrounding her death and alleged sustained mental and physical abuse. A Final Video Sent at 7 AM According to Srishti’s brother, Ritanshu Kandari, she sent the now-viral 56-second video to her mother at around 7 am on July 29. In the video, an emotional Srishti apologised to her mother and alleged that she had been repeatedly called “manhoos" (inauspicious) by her husband’s family. Sorry Mommy… I’m giving up. I’ve been putting up with this for 6 months and I can’t take it anymore. These people can never change. I thought it would get better now… it would get better then, but every day they keep calling me “manhoos".– Srishti Kandari, a government… pic.twitter.com/vLxYY3RSV2 — Piyush Rai (@Benarasiyaa) July 31, 2026 Ritanshu said their mother watched the video around 7.20 am and immediately began calling Srishti, her husband, mother-in-law and other members of the family.

However, none of the calls were answered. Nearly an hour later, the family allegedly received a call asking them to come to a hospital in Dehradun. While they were on the way, they were informed that Srishti had died. According to Ritanshu, hospital authorities later told the family that Srishti had already been declared dead at around 8.15 am. The family has alleged that they were not informed about her condition in time. “She Was Coming Home That Day": Brother Questions Sequence of Events The family has also questioned the circumstances of Srishti’s death. According to Ritanshu, Srishti had spoken to their mother between 11 pm and midnight on July 28 and told her that she would return to her parental home the following morning. He further claimed that on the day of the incident, Srishti had already bathed and got ready to leave for her parents’ house. “If she was prepared to come home that morning, how could she suddenly take such a step?" Ritanshu said while questioning the sequence of events. Family Alleges Harassment Began Within Two Months of Marriage According to Srishti’s family, problems began nearly two months after her marriage in November last year. Ritanshu alleged that his sister was repeatedly told she did not belong to the family’s “standard" and that the marriage had not taken place according to their expectations. He further alleged that Srishti was subjected to both mental and physical harassment over the following months.