A 24-year-old pregnant woman died at a Gurgaon hospital on Sunday, with her family alleging she was being harassed by her husband and in-laws over dowry. The deceased was six months pregnant. Police have booked her husband and father-in-law on charges of dowry death and cruelty by her husband/relative based on a complaint by the woman’s father.
According to police, the woman was taken to the hospital by her in-laws and died during treatment. The body has been sent for an autopsy to ascertain the reason behind the death. Her parents and family alleged she was harassed and beaten on several occasions over dowry demands.
In the FIR, the father alleged: “(My daughter) got married in 2020. I gave a huge sum of dowry, more than I could afford. I work as a tailor. Even after all this, my daughter was mentally and physically tortured. (Her husband), his parents and three sisters would harass and force her to give money. They would not let us talk over the phone… on October 21, during Bhai Dooj celebrations, they refused to let us meet and (her husband) demanded Rs 5 lakh from us. They beat her up on Diwali as well and pushed her down the stairs.”
The woman’s father claimed they received a call from her on October 26 saying she was being threatened. “I suspect that (her husband and his family) caused internal injuries, which led to her death…,” alleged the father in the FIR.
Senior police officers said they are waiting for the autopsy report and will take action against the in-laws based on evidence.
Meanwhile, her family demanded strict action against her in-laws for torturing her. Speaking to the media, her brother alleged: “My sister was being beaten up by her husband every day, but the panchayat resolved the matter. She didn’t come to our house for two years… I even transferred money…they kept increasing their demands…”
