A Bengaluru woman ended her life on Thursday night allegedly due to dowry harassment by her husband and in-laws. A resident of Mahadevapura, 27-year-old Shilpa was found dead in her house in Hoodi on Thursday night.
At around 9 pm on Thursday, Muniyamma, Shilpa’s mother-in-law, allegedly found her dead in her bedroom. Muniyamma immediately informed her son Nagesh about the death.
The family then called Shilpa’s parents Ramappa and Devamma, residents of Hoskote’s Hindignala and informed them about their daughter’s death.
Ramappa and Devamma, along with their relatives rushed to Bengaluru and an argument broke out between Shilpa’s relatives and her husband Nagesh. Shilpa’s parents accused Nagesh and Muniyamma of repeatedly torturing their daughter for dowry. The argument escalated and the two families began fighting on the road.
Ramappa, meanwhile, called the police control room and accused Nagesh and Muniyamma of driving his daughter to end her life.
In his complaint, Ramappa said that Shilpa was married to Nagesh a year ago, after which she moved to Bengaluru. The first two months into her wedding, Muniyamma and Nagesh allegedly began demanding dowry. Ramappa says in his complaint that he suspects foul play in his daughter’s death as she had allegedly told them several times about the harassment she had faced by her in-laws.
“The victim’s father says that they had given her enough gold and silver during the wedding and had borne all the expenses. Two months after the wedding, the dowry harassment began according to her father. He says that Shilpa would complain to them about the harassment,” Mahadevapura Police said.
Police say that Shilpa had returned to her parents’ home four months ago as she was unable to bear the dowry harassment. However, Nagesh and Muniyamma allegedly called their relatives to Hoskote, where the two families met to discuss the issue.
“The families reached a compromise and Nagesh is said to have promised to take care of her and stop the harassment, after which Shilpa allegedly agreed to go back,” the Mahadevapura Police said.
Police say that Nagesh allegedly demanded money and a car from his wife and that she had communicated it to her parents recently. “There were many fights between the husband and wife. Her parents say that her mother-in-law would also harass her a lot and that she took the drastic step because of this,” the police added.
The Mahadevapura Police have booked Nagesh and Muniyamma under section 304B (dowry death), 498A (dowry harassment) of the IPC. Shilpa's body has been sent for an autopsy and the police have not yet made any arrests.