A 27-year-old newly married woman on Saturday died by suicide in Tamil Nadu’s Tirupur district after she was allegedly harassed for dowry by her husband and his family, the police said, adding that they have arrested the 28-year-old husband and his father.
“She told her family that she was going to a temple and on the way consumed pesticide and died on June 28 (Saturday). She was found dead inside her car… We arrested her husband and his father on Sunday on charges of abetment to suicide. Today (Monday) the court remanded them to 14-day judicial custody,” a senior police officer said.
The couple got married in April, but the woman returned home on June 23 due to the alleged harassment, the police officer quoted above said.
According to the woman’s family, they had given dowry worth crores during the wedding, including a Volvo car worth ₹70 lakh and 300 sovereigns of gold.
The father alleged that the husband and his parents abused his daughter physically and mentally, asking her to hand over the 300 sovereigns of gold to them and also questioned why her family had not given 500 sovereigns of gold instead.
“We will be interrogating the husband and the father based on the complaint filed by the woman’s father. So far, we have not received any complaint against the husband’s mother,” the police said.
{{/usCountry}}“We will be interrogating the husband and the father based on the complaint filed by the woman’s father. So far, we have not received any complaint against the husband’s mother,” the police said.
{{/usCountry}}Police said both the families were rich and well-known in Tirupur. “When my daughter came back home within ten days of the wedding, we thought she had initial adjustment issues and advised her accordingly. Everyone we asked said they were a good family,” the woman’s father said on Monday.
“Later, she told us that her husband and his family didn’t let her leave the house, saying it was for her safety. They controlled her movements and pestered her asking why she han’t given them her jewels yet and why I gave only 300 sovereigns instead of 500 sovereigns of gold. He (the husband) doesn’t have a job. When I heard this, I told her to stay with us and not go back. Nobody should face what my daughter has faced,” the bereaved father added.
Before her death, the woman reportedly sent several audio notes to her father on Whatsapp. “I am sorry, pa (father). I will consider this my fate and end my life now,” the woman is heard saying in the audio note. “I thought things would change but this time I’ve realised my life will never change… They tortured me everyday and everyone is telling me to adjust. But, they torture me mentally and physically…he (husband) tortures me. They have hurt and shamed me a lot. I’ve not done anything wrong, but I don’t have the strength to continue living.”
HT could not independently verify the contents of the audio clips that were circulated on social media.
Meanwhile, the Tirupur revenue divisional officer (RDO) is preparing a report on the dowry given and asked for in the case. “We are yet to make a final report based on statements from the family and we will submit it to the police,” the RDO said.
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