Harassed over false dowry charges, 60-yr-old ends life

A 60-year-old man committed suicide by consuming celphos tablets at his home in Manawali village in Phagwara on Friday. The Phagwara police have booked five persons for abetment to suicide in the case on Sunday.

A 60-year-old man committed suicide by consuming celphos tablets at his home in Manawali village in Phagwara on Friday. The Phagwara police have booked five persons for abetment to suicide in the case on Sunday.

The deceased has been identified as Sohan Lal, a resident of Manawali, who was a panch of Manawali village panchayat.

As per information, around seven years ago the deceased's son Ravi Kumar had a contract marriage with a girl identified as Geeta Rani, a resident of Dolike village, Sangatpura in Bhogpur, to get permanent residentship (PR) in Italy. The contract was of Rs10 lakh of which Rs5 lakh were paid in the beginning while another half would be given after getting.

Jyoti, deceased's daughter, in her complaint alleged that her brother didn't get the residenship as promised, after which, Geeta and her family members, including Lalji, Babli, Gurnam and Sandeep, had started demanding payment.

"Geeta had lodged a false dowry case against our family with the Jalandhar commissionerate and threatened us to make the payment otherwise she will lodge false complaints against the family," she stated.

Jyoti said after facing so much of harassment and threats by Geeta, her father had consumed celphos tablets on Friday and died at the Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, on Saturday.

Demanding arrest of all accused, the deceased's family along with various associations of Phagwara met Phagwara superintendent of police (SP) Ashwani Kumar on Sunday.

Manpreet Singh Dhillon, Phagwara deputy superintendent of police (DSP), said they have registered the case and booked the accused. "We are raiding their houses. Soon the accused will be arrested," he added.

Meanwhile, after booking Geeta Rani, Lalji, Babli, Gurnam and Sandeep all the residents of Dolike Sangatpur village, Bhogpur, the police have registered a case under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at Phagwara sadar police station.