Amid rage over the Nikki Bhati dowry murder case from Greater Noida, another tragic incident of death due to dowry harassment surfaced from Rajasthan's Jodhpur. A school lecturer set herself and her three-year-old daughter ablaze on Friday, police said.
The daughter died on the spot, while the woman, Sanju Bishnoi, succumbed to her injuries during treatment on Saturday morning.
Police said they recovered a suicide note that said the woman was being harassed by her husband, Dilip, and in-laws for dowry demands, an NDTV report stated.
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Poured petrol, set herself, daughter on fire
The incident took place in Sarnada Ki Dhani village in Kakelav under the Dangiyawas police station area. The 32-year-old school lecturer reportedly returned home, locked the door from the inside, sat on a chair, poured petrol on herself and her daughter, and set both of them on fire. Neither her husband nor the in-laws were present at home.
The three-year-old child fell to the floor and died immediately due to severe burns, Bhaskar reported. However, HT couldn't independently verify the authenticity of this detail.
{{/usCountry}}The three-year-old child fell to the floor and died immediately due to severe burns, Bhaskar reported. However, HT couldn't independently verify the authenticity of this detail.
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Neighbours had informed the woman's family and police after they saw smoke rising from the house. They arrived at the home and saw their daughter and grandchild engulfed in flames. Though the lecturer was rushed to the Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, she later died during treatment.
Dowry harassment accusations
Dangiyawas SHO Rajendra Singh said that the woman's father, Omaram Bishnoi, filed a case against the in-laws, alleging dowry harassment and abetment to suicide, the Bhaskar report mentioned.
Police and forensic teams collected evidence from the house as the investigation was handed over to an Assistant Commissioner of Police. Officials also seized the victim's mobile phone.
The woman had married Dilip around ten years ago. She was working as a lecturer at the senior secondary school in Fitkasni village.
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In her suicide note, she accused her husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law of harassment. She also accused another man, named Ganpat Singh, of harassment.
Police are trying to track down the man.
According to NDTV, Singh and the woman's husband used to harass her physically together.
Meanwhile, a tiff reportedly broke out between the deceased woman's parents and her in-laws over her body. Following post-mortem examination, authorities handed over the 32-year-old's body to her parents. The mother and daughter were cremated together on Saturday.
The incident gains significance as it comes just days after the murder of a woman named Nikki Bhati over dowry in Greater Noida's Sirsa village. The cases are a grim reminder of the widely prevalent dowry system, an age-old practice that was outlawed decades ago.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).