Karnataka - Bangalore   

‘Dowry’ pressure claims lives of mother, infant

BANGALORE: Unable to put up with alleged dowry harassment by her husband any more, a woman ended her life as well as that of her infant son by jumping into a sump on Saturday.

Sukanya (23), who hailed from a village in Ramanagaram district, drowned herself along with her eight-month-old son Sandesh in Mylasandra near Kengeri.

Her husband Chandra, who runs a bakery, discovered the bodies in the water tank. He took them to the Victoria Hospital, where both were declared dead. The police have found a note purportedly written by Sukanya blaming her husband’s family.

Sukanya’s parents are still coming to terms with her death. “She was not telling us any details about her husband’s alleged harassment as she loved him and had married him despite our opposition. In fact, she was avoiding coming to the village fearing people would come to know,” said her distraught mother Jayamma. “He (Chandra) did not demand dowry when he married my daughter two years ago. But he started to make demands later,” she added.

Sukanya’s father Gurulingaiah, who runs a hotel in Kadubevur in Ramanagaram district, said despite hardships, the family had been meeting Chandra’s dowry demands. “We had to pay Rs. 25,000 to him before bringing my daughter home when she was pregnant,” he said. “He then wanted my daughter to bring Rs. 1 lakh for investing in a business,” he added.

Gurulingaiah and Jayamma held Chandra and his parents responsible for their daughter’s death. “My daughter has succumbed to the dowry harassment made by Chandra, his parents and his sister,” said Gurulingaiah. Both said the same before the local Tahsildar who took their statements before permitting autopsy.

The Kengeri police have taken up a case of dowry harassment and have arrested Chandra. Some persons protested before the police station demanding action against Chandra, even managing to rough him up while he was being questioned by the police.

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