2 months after wedding, woman dies by suicide; 28-page note details dowry torture
A 22-year-old newlywed woman died by suicide at her parental home in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district after allegedly facing persistent harassment over dowry demands. Police
A 22-year-old newlywed woman died by suicide at her parental home in Uttar Pradesh's Kaushambi district after allegedly facing persistent harassment over dowry demands. Police said a 28-page suicide note was recovered from the scene and has been taken into evidence as part of the investigation. The victim, Shifali Kesarwani, had been married to Gopal Kesari in Prayagraj, on May 7, barely two months before her death. Read Full Story The woman's brother Vikas Kesarwani alleged that her husband, father-in-law Kamal Kesari, mother-in-law Asha Devi and brother-in-law Arun Kesari had been demanding an additional Rs 5 lakh in cash and a four-wheeler after the marriage. The family also alleged that Shifali was subjected to physical and mental harassment when the demands were not met.
According to the complaint, Shifali returned to her parental home on May 11 and informed her family about the alleged dowry-related pressure. She was later sent back to her matrimonial home after relatives attempted to resolve the dispute. However, the harassment continued. Family members claimed that when Shifali returned to her parental home again on June 20, she shared repeated instances of abuse. They alleged that her husband assaulted her with sticks, while her in-laws verbally abused her and denied her food. The family further alleged that her husband often assaulted her under the influence of alcohol. According to relatives, members of her husband's family were expected to visit on July 13 to take her back to her matrimonial home.
Distressed by the prospect, Shifali wrote a detailed suicide note before hanging herself in a room at her parental home. Police reached the spot after receiving information about the incident, took custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem examination. Based on a complaint filed by the victim's family, a case has been registered against four members of her matrimonial family under relevant provisions related to dowry harassment and dowry death. Senior police officer Satyanarayan Prajapat said the woman died by suicide at her parental home on July 13 and that a case had been registered against her husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and brother-in-law. "The suicide note recovered from the scene has been made part of the case records.
All allegations and contents of the note are being examined as part of the investigation. Further legal action will be taken based on the findings of the probe," the SP said. Police said they are investigating all aspects of the case and have not ruled out any angle. The contents of the 28-page note are being scrutinised as part of the ongoing investigation. Ends (With inputs from Akhilesh Kumar in Kaushambi)
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