Dowry harassment: Woman kills self, in-laws arrested

According to the FIR, the victim's in-laws regularly argued with her over “petty” reasons and discouraged her from visiting her parents.

Bengaluru: Five members of a family that runs a popular ice cream company in Bengaluru have been arrested in a case of dowry death.

Giriyappa Gowda, Seethamma, their sons Rajesh and Vijay, and younger daughter-in-law Tasmai were arrested by the
Govindarajanagar police.

Police said Aishwarya Rajesh, 26, the eldest daughter-in-law, was found hanging at her parents’ residence in Vijaynagar on October 26, with a four-page note left behind.

Her mother, Usha Subramanya, filed a complaint blaming nine people, including Gowda, Seethamma, Vijay, and Tasmai, for the death.

According to the FIR, Aishwarya’s in-laws regularly argued with her over “petty” reasons and discouraged her from visiting her parents.

In her complaint, Usha stated, “They raised questions about Aishwarya’s character and urged her to get a divorce from Rajesh. Even though we had given them gold during the marriage, Aishwarya was pressured to bring more dowry.”

“Tormented by the mistreatment and mental harassment, Aishwarya became estranged from the family in the first week of October and began living with her parents. She allegedly took the extreme step, as indicated by the note she left behind,” the complaint stated.

S Girish, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), mentioned that even though Aishwarya’s husband, Rajesh, was not named in the note, he was arrested based on her family’s statements.

“The suspects fled after the complaint was lodged. They were arrested in Mumbai,” Girish informed DH, adding that the decision on the arrest of the others named in the complaint is still pending.

Suspects go into hiding

A senior police officer told DH that the family had been in hiding since Aishwarya’s death, traveling to Tumakuru and Belagavi before fleeing to Goa and then Mumbai.

An FIR has been registered at the Govindarajanagar police station under IPC sections 498A (husband or relative of a husband subjecting a woman to cruelty), 304B (dowry death), and 34 (acts done by several persons with a common intention), along with relevant sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act.