After Greater Noida woman’s death, husband, mother-in-law held in dowry case

A day after a 24-year-old woman was found hanging at her in-laws’ home in Greater Noida’s Kasna following an alleged domestic dispute, police on Wednesday arrested her 24-year-old husband and 60-year-old mother-in-law on charges of dowry death

A day after a 24-year-old woman was found hanging at her in-laws’ home in Greater Noida’s Kasna following an alleged domestic dispute, police on Wednesday arrested her 24-year-old husband and 60-year-old mother-in-law on charges of dowry death.

Police also said the post-mortem examination found ligature marks around the woman’s neck and no other external injuries, indicating death by hanging. (Representational image)

Police also said the post-mortem examination found ligature marks around the woman’s neck and no other external injuries, indicating death by hanging.

The arrests came after the woman’s family accused her in-laws of harassing her for dowry and staged an hours-long protest outside the Kasna police station on Tuesday, demanding strict action.

Based on the family’s complaint, police registered a case against the husband, mother-in-law and brother-in-law under Sections 80 (dowry death) and 85 (husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

“As the victim’s family alleged that the in-laws were harassing her and demanding dowry, including a Maruti Suzuki Brezza, we registered a case under Sections 80 and 85 of the BNS and Sections 3 and 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act against the husband, brother-in-law and mother-in-law,” said Ravi Shankar, assistant commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

According to police, the woman had an argument with her husband late Monday night, after which he left the room and slept outside. The woman allegedly locked herself inside the room with her two children, aged two and three, who were asleep. Early Tuesday morning, the children woke up and began crying, prompting other family members to break open the door and find her hanging, police said.

Investigators said the woman and her younger sister, residents of Ghaziabad, had married two brothers from Kasna in 2020. At the time of the incident, the younger sister was asleep in her room on the first floor, while the victim was found dead on the ground floor.

“The husband and mother-in-law were arrested on Wednesday. Efforts are underway to arrest the third accused and further investigation is in progress,” Shankar said.

Responding to allegations raised by the woman’s family over the circumstances of her death, a senior police officer, requesting anonymity, said the post-mortem examination found no external injuries other than ligature marks around the neck.

“It appears to be a case of suicide, and the autopsy findings are consistent with that conclusion. The allegations of dowry harassment are being investigated separately,” the officer said.

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