Man committed suicide for dowry

NEW DELHI: A 20-year-old woman from Moti Nagar in west Delhi has filed a police complaint, claiming that her husband was under constant pressure from her in-laws to demand dowry, which allegedly drove him to commit suicide. Her in-laws have, meanwhile, filed a counter-complaint, stating that she used to harass and even beat them up.

The police have sent the woman, Chandni Chawla, her sister, mother-in-law and two other members of her husband’s family for a medical check-up at DDU hospital. “We are looking at both the complaints. We may register a case under Section 323 (for voluntarily causing hurt) only if we are convinced about the MLC report,” said a senior officer.

Chandni, a resident of Mahendra Nagar, has told police that she got married to 25-year-old Deepak Chawla, a furniture worker, about five months ago. Soon after, she claimed, her relationship with her in-laws started deteriorating. “My mother-in-law, Sudesh, and brother-in-law, Rajen, would often complain to my husband that I had brought nothing for the family. My husband would protest and side with me. The mental torture increased with each passing day,” she alleged.

“On June 8, I left for Palwal with Deepak and Rajen to attend a family function. While I stayed back, the brothers returned to Delhi the same day. Then, around midnight, Deepak called to say that his mother was very upset with him for escorting me to Palwal. His brother was also siding with her. We talked till 4.30 am. When I again called around 5 am, no one picked up the phone. Around 9.30 am, Sudesh answered my call and told me to reach home quickly as he was seriously ill. By 12.30 pm, even before I reached, they had taken his body for autopsy. My in-laws are responsible for his death,” claimed Chandni. Deepak was found hanging from a fan in his bedroom on June 9. The cops are waiting for the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of his death.

Meanwhile, Chandni has claimed that she was roughed up, along with her elder sister Nitu, when she attempted to return to her in-laws house three days after the condolence meeting. She had gone to stay with her parents following the ceremony. Her father, Subhas Juneja, claimed: “When Chandni went to her in-laws place today, she was again beaten up. We have already lodged a police complaint.” The Chawlas have, however, refuted the allegations. “Deepak was having some problems with his wife. Now, she is pointing fingers at us. In a fit of rage, she even beat us up today,” claimed Deepak’s uncle.