A School Teacher and Law Graduate Murders For Dowry

New Delhi, November 24, 2011

Rekha Rani’s husband, along with his sisters and mother, had tortured her mentally and physically and called her names, beat her up and often threw her out of the house as they demanded dowry from Rekha’s parents.  They even threatened to kill her. On May 9, 2011, Sanjeev, the husband, called up Rekha’s mother to say that her daughter was not keeping well and wanted to meet her.  When Rekha’s mother reached her daughter’s matrimonial home along with her husband, she found the house locked from outside and was informed by neighbours that her daughter has been taken to hospital as she had supposedly hanged herself.  Rekha had been declared “brought dead” at the hospital. She has left behind a two-year-old son.  After knowing of her daughter’s death at the hospital, Rekha’s parents told the police that her daughter was being harassed and tortured by her in-laws for bringing insufficient dowry. One of Rekha Rani’s torturers who has now been denied bail was her sister-in-law Seema Singhal, a school teacher and a law graduate. The report here.

Newly Married Woman Hangs Herself Because of Dowry Demanded

Bangalore, November 21, 2011

Depressed by her husband’s constant harassment for dowry, a 25-year-old newly-wed woman, Leelavathi, ended life by hanging herself at her residence in Bilekahalli, off Bannerghatta Road in Mico Layout police station limits on Sunday. The deceased Leelavathi, a native of Chitradurga, was married to Manjunath, 30, an accountant in a garment factory seven months ago.  The report here.

A Female Bank Manager Is Victim of Dowry Harassment

Mumbai, 19 April 2011

Komal Cheda, 31, a Bank manager at HDFC,  one of India’s top banks, hanged and killed herself in Mumbai after being mentally and physically abused by her husband and his parents for dowry.  Her father said Komal’s ordeal started immediately after marriage. Her bankrupt husband and parents-in-law kept demanding money from Komal to repay their loan. “They did not allow her to employ a maid….Komal even gave Rs2 lakh to [her husband's] younger brother, for higher studies in the US.”  Read the report here.