A 30-year-old woman was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her matrimonial home in Ludhiana’s Shimlapuri late on Wednesday night. Following a complaint by her family, the Shimlapuri police have registered a dowry death case against her husband, mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law. Later, her husband was nabbed.
The deceased, Chetna, was a resident of Mohalla Nanaksar in Shimlapuri. She had married Harjinder Singh, a contractual employee with Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), on September 14, 2022.
According to the police, Chetna was found lying on a bed inside her in-laws’ house with a dupatta around her neck. The body was taken into custody and sent for a post-mortem examination.
In her statement to the police, Chetna’s mother, Sunita Rani, alleged that her daughter had been subjected to harassment by her husband and his family over dowry since her marriage. She claimed that the suspects had been demanding cash and other articles and often pressured Chetna when the demands were not fulfilled.
Sunita told the police that she received a phone call around 11.15 pm on July 1, informing her that her daughter had died. When she reached the house, she allegedly found Chetna lying on the bed with a dupatta wrapped around her neck.
Holding the in-laws responsible for her daughter’s death, Sunita alleged that she was killed over dowry-related harassment.
Acting on the complaint, the Shimlapuri police registered an FIR against her husband, mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law under Sections 80(2) (dowry death) and 3(5) (common intention) of the BNS.
The police said her husband had been arrested while raids were being conducted to trace the other suspects. Further investigation in the case was on.
