Chembur businessman held for driving wife to suicide

A 34-year-old businessman from Chembur has been arrested for allegedly harassing his wife for dowry and driving her to commit suicide.

A 34-year-old businessman from Chembur has been arrested for allegedly harassing his wife for dowry and driving her to commit suicide.

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Kiran Agarwal (26) was found hanging in her marital home at New Ashok Nagar, at RCF, Chembur on Thursday morning. Her husband, Ghanshyam Agarwal, was arrested following a complaint by Kiran’s father, Rajendra Agarwal (48).

Kiran married Ghanshyam, a ration shop owner, in 2002. The couple has a five-year-old son.“Around 6.15 am on Thursday, Kiran’s younger sister, Babita, who had come to Mumbai for a vacation, saw her hanging in the bedroom. She immediately informed her father in Hyderabad,” said Jalinder Khandagale, assistant commissioner of police, Trombay division.

The police said the in-laws had been torturing Kiran for dowry for three years. “Since last year, they had been demanding Rs 4-5 lakh,” said Police Inspector Prasad Dharia. “They wanted to release some gold jewellery mortgaged for Pawan’s (the victim’s brother-in-law) release after he was arrested by the crime branch in a rationing scam.”

The police said that Kiran’s parents paid the accused Rs 50,000, 30,000 and 150 grams of gold on three occasions.“Kiran called me up on several occasions for money.

I had told her and the in-laws that I would be coming to Mumbai on December 24 to discuss the issue but before I could reach, she took the drastic step,” said her father, Rajendra Agarwal, a garment dealer.

The police have booked Ghanshyam, Pawan, and Ghanshyam’s sister-in-law, Anju for dowry harassment and abetment to suicide. Ghanshyam’s parents are yet to be traced, the police said.