Medininagar: A newlywed woman was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her matrimonial home in Jharkhand’s Palamu district, with her family alleging that she was murdered over dowry demands and that her in-laws attempted to portray the death as suicide.
The deceased, identified as Vaishnavi Devi, was found hanging from a noose inside a room at her home near Redma Chowk under the Town police station limits late Tuesday night.
Vaishnavi, a native of Sonbhadra district in Uttar Pradesh, had married Suraj Gupta of Medininagar around 10 months ago. Her family alleged that she had faced harassment over demands for additional dowry soon after the marriage.
The matter came to light on Wednesday after members of her husband’s family brought Vaishnavi to Medinirai Medical College and Hospital (MMCH) in critical condition. Doctors, however, declared her dead on arrival.
Her family alleged that following confirmation of her death, the in-laws tried to quietly remove the body from the hospital. Personnel at the MMCH police outpost reportedly intervened and stopped them, following which the woman’s family was informed.
Relatives subsequently reached Medininagar from the Audimod police station area of Sonbhadra and accused the in-laws of subjecting Vaishnavi to prolonged harassment.
Her maternal uncle, Jitendra, alleged that she had been repeatedly harassed over dowry demands since her marriage. He said Vaishnavi had spoken to her mother over the phone at around 9 p.m. on Tuesday and appeared normal, without mentioning any dispute or distress.
The family was informed of her death only a few hours later, which, they said, raised serious questions about the circumstances leading to her death.
Police have taken custody of the body and sent it for post-mortem examination. Officials said the exact cause and circumstances of death will be established through the investigation and post-mortem findings.
Police are examining the allegations made by the woman’s family and other circumstances surrounding the incident. Further action will follow based on the investigation.
–IANS