In a horrific incident, a software engineer who attempted to kill his wife by electrocuting her, was arrested by the police on Saturday.
The techie identified as S Rajaratnam wanted to eliminate his wife for giving birth to a female child and for not giving the additional dowry that he had demanded, The Hans India reported.
The incident took place at Kannuru village, Penamaluru mandal in Krishna district.
On Friday night, Rajaratnam tried to kill his wife Prashanti by connecting an electrical wire. Fortunately, the victim survived after raising an alarm.
Prashanti approached police the following day.
In her complaint, she wrote, “My husband tied a wire to my hand and tried to give a shock while I was asleep. When I resisted it, he abused me and left home,” The New Indian Express reported.
According to police, Rajaratnam and his parents have been harassing Prashanti for almost two years demanding additional dowry, ever since she gave birth to a girl.
In the complaint, Prashanti’s parents wrote, “There are several injury marks on her face, neck and hands. Since the birth of the baby girl, Rajaratnam has been harassing her physically and mentally, demanding money.”
Rajaratnam and Prashanti were married four years ago. They have a son and a daughter.
Penamaluru Police have booked a case under section 498 A (domestic violence) and have arrested both Rajaratnam and his parents.
In a similar incident, in Nellore, a mother-in-law tried to kill her pregnant daughter-in-law by setting her on fire after an astrologer predicted that she will give birth to a female child. The incident took place in 2016.
The victim, Girija, had had a baby girl already. After an astrologer predicted that this time too she will give birth to a girl, the mother-in-law, Lakshmi, harassed her demanding additional dowry.
Lakshmi doused her in kerosene and set her alight. The victim survived with minor injuries.
