By IANS,
New Delhi : A 20-year old woman, alleging harassment by her in-laws over dowry, committed suicide by setting herself afire here, police said Friday.
“Khushboo, a resident of Sangam Vihar area in East Delhi, in her dying declaration, alleged that the continuous torture by her husband and in-laws for dowry forced her to take the extreme step,” said a senior police officer.
Police officials said the matter came to light after an in-law of the victim made a call at Police Control Room Thursday night, reporting that Khushboo has set herself afire after pouring kerosene on herself.
A police team reached the spot and rushed the victim to Safdarjung Hospital where she succumbed to her injuries Friday morning. “On inquiry we learnt that the incident occurred in the presence of Khushboo’s in-laws while her husband was away,” said the officer.
In her statement recorded before the sub-divisional magistrate and Sangam Vihar police, Khushboo stated that she was being harassed and tortured for dowry since her marriage to Harish Gupta in November 2009.
“She alleged that they were harassing her dowry and used to force her to ask her parents for giving them cash and a car. Her mother-in-law had beaten her up too on several occasions and even Gupta used to beat her up for getting his dowry demands fulfilled,” said the officer.
The couple has an eight-months-old daughter.
On the basis of the dying declaration, police registered a case under section 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty) and 304 B (Dowry death) against the Khushbo”s husband and her in-laws.
Police have detained Gupta who owns several autos and used to sub-let them.