‘Papa, They Will Kill Me’: UP Newlywed Found Dead At In-Laws’ House, Family Alleges Dowry Murder
Dowry Death Horror: In a shocking incident, A 19-year-old newlywed woman was found hanging under suspicious circumstances at her in-laws’ house in Uttar Pradesh’s Amroha on Tuesday evening, hours after she allegedly called her father in distress and pleaded to be taken home.
The deceased, identified as Pushpendri Devi, had married Ompal, a farmer from Khumawali village in Gajraula area, on February 13 this year. Her family has accused her husband and in-laws of killing her over dowry demands, Times of India reported.
According to Pushpendri’s father Balbeer Singh, the family had given dowry according to their financial capacity during the marriage, including jewellery, cash and other household items. However, he alleged that her husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law and other relatives were unhappy and had been demanding an additional Rs 10 lakh.
Balbeer said his daughter called him around 6.30 pm on Tuesday and was crying during the conversation. “She kept saying, ‘Papa, they will kill me.’ I told her I would come and take her home, but before I could reach there, we were informed that she had died,” he said.
The family alleged that Pushpendri was assaulted and murdered by her in-laws, who later hanged her body to make the death appear to be a suicide.
Following the incident, tensions flared in the village as members of the woman’s family reached the spot and accused the in-laws of fleeing the house after the incident. Angry relatives initially refused to allow police to take the body for post-mortem and demanded immediate arrests, the report added.
Circle Officer Pankaj Kumar Tyagi told the Times of India that an FIR has been registered against Pushpendri’s husband Ompal, father-in-law Rajendra, mother-in-law Indrawati and two others under sections related to dowry death and cruelty, along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
“The body has been sent for post-mortem. Ligature marks were found around the neck, but the exact cause of death will be confirmed only after the autopsy report. Teams have been formed to arrest the accused, who are currently absconding,” the officer said.
Police said further investigation is underway and all angles are being examined.
The incident came days after two women– Twisha Sharma in Bhopal and Deepika Nagar in Greater Noida– allegedly died due to dowry harassment. These cases have once again drawn national attention to dowry harassment in India.
Both women allegedly died under suspicious circumstances within a short period of marriage, and their families have accused the in-laws of harassment and dowry-related abuse.
