Dowry death? Pregnant woman found hanging

A five-month pregnant woman was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her in-laws’ home in north Delhi’s Aryapura early on Thursday. The discovery prompted the talk of yet another dowry-driven death in the Capital.

A five-month pregnant woman was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her in-laws’ home in north Delhi’s Aryapura early on Thursday. The discovery prompted the talk of yet another dowry-driven death in the Capital.

HT Image

The family of the 24-year-old woman, Dipika, have alleged that her husband and in-laws killed her because their demands for dowry were not met.

They said her husband, Kamal Singh, and mother-in-law had demanded R5 lakh for a car and another R2 lakh for his business.

When Dipika was brought dead to the Bara Hindu Rao Hospital, her in-laws claimed that she had committed suicide by hanging from a ceiling fan.

Sindhu Pillai, the deputy commissioner of police (north), said: “The matter attracted an inquiry by the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) because the woman was pregnant and she had got married only eight months ago.”

“On the basis of the statement given before the SDM by Dipika’s parents, where they alleged that she was being harassed for dowry, a case of dowry death has been registered against her husband and four in-laws. All the five have been arrested,” Pillai said.

Kavita, Dipika’s elder sister, said her family got a call around 9 am from Kamal’s cell phone. The caller asked them to reach the hospital as her condition was serious.

“Five minutes later, the same person told us over phone that my sister was dead and she had committed suicide. The news shocked us because we had met Dipika on Wednesday night and she was absolutely fine,” said Kavita.

Hari Chand, Dipika’s father, alleged that she was being tortured by her husband and other in-laws soon since her wedding in November 2011.

“They would torture her physically and mentally,” Hari Chand said.