Techie ends life due to alleged dowry harassment in Gangammanagudi

BENGALURU: A 22-year-old woman techie committed suicide on Friday due to alleged dowry harassment at her husband’s house.

Puja’s parents have filed a complaint against her husband Sunil and her brother-in-law Anil alleging that they harassed her for dowry and ill-treated her.

Puja was an engineer and had been married to Sunil for about 15 months. Her parents alleged that Sunil and Anil demanded dowry and they gifted him three acres of land and gold ornaments. Her salary would go to the husband out of which a part was being given to the brother-in-law, the parents alleged.

Though Puja was earning Rs 40,000 per months, she was given only Rs 500 per day for her expenses. The husband’s family would even insult her over food habits and would taunt her not to eat too much as she would gain wait. Puja committed suicide due to continued harassment by her family members, the parents said.

Puja’s uncle Kotrugowda alleged that she committed suicide due to dowry harassment. “Her husband, his brother, and brother’s wife harassed her for money and demanded gold, a site and other things as dowry. He (husband) always sided with his brother. I spoke to her just two hours before her suicide. She shared her pain with me, saying that her husband’s family members were torturing her for dowry and she was fed up”, he said.

“I promised her that I would do something to help resolve the issue by talking to them. Puja’s parents had gifted Rs 5 lakh in cash and 25 tolas of gold during her marriage. However, Sunil continued to demand more dowry, farmland and other things repeatedly. He was asking for 3 acres of land out of a total of 9 acres. I don’t know how we can fulfill his endless demands”, said the uncle.

The Gangammanagudi police have taken Puja’s husband into custody and are questioning him. Further investigation is under way.