Husband held, his mother booked for dowry torture after woman’s death

The victim, Swati, of Rohtak in Haryana, worked as an engineer with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and had married Ajay Raghav, of Bulandshahr, nearly two years back.

The husband of a 26-year-old woman who died under mysterious circumstances on Sunday was arrested by the Sector 49 police on Monday from their home in Noida, Sector 51, after the victim’s family alleged dowry torture. The woman’s body was then sent for an autopsy.

The dead woman’s mother said that despite the family’s best efforts, their daughter was tormented both physically and mentally by the accused and his family. (Reuters)

The victim, Swati, of Rohtak in Haryana, worked as an engineer with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and had married Ajay Raghav, of Bulandshahr, nearly two years back. He works as a software engineer with a renowned electronic appliance manufacturer.

“We had already spent more than we could afford in the wedding. A few days after the wedding, her husband and mother-in-law started demanding dowry. Scared that it would affect her marriage, we kept on fulfilling their demands from time-to-time,” Pavita, the woman’s mother, said.

She said that despite the family’s best efforts, their daughter was tormented both physically and mentally by the suspect. “She even left her husband and came back to live with us, and went back only after Ajay requested she come back. She even told me that on June 6, she had complained to police about harassment by her husband and mother-in-law,” she said.

She said that on Sunday, she got a call from Ajay that Swati was dead. “We rushed to the post-mortem house in Sector 94 and found that she had injuries on her neck and waist. We are certain that they assaulted her as their dowry demands were not met,” she said.

Based on her complaint, a case was registered at the Sector 49 police station against Ajay and his mother under sections 498A, 304B of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

“The husband was arrested today following the allegations. The woman was taken to a private hospital yesterday and we received a memo from there about her death. The body was sent for an autopsy,” said Dharmendra Kumar Sharma, station house officer, Sector 49 police station.

He said they are waiting for the autopsy report to ascertain the cause of death and are questioning other family members to understand what happened. A probe in the matter is underway, said police.