BENGALURU: A 26-year-old woman died by suicide following alleged torture and dowry harassment by her parents-in-law, who run a well-known ice cream company in Bidadi.
The deceased, Aishwarya, blamed nine people for her death. The investigation officer said Aishwarya’s father and her paternal uncle and aunt argued over property, following which they reportedly targeted Aishwarya’s character in front of her in-laws when she got married in 2018.
Since then, Aishwarya’s parents-in-law allegedly assassinated her character and constantly demanded money. The family even accused her of not being fit for the family. The officer further said Aishwarya, an MBA, was working for a corporate firm, but had resigned four months ago after her parents-in-law forced her to quit.
A complaint filed by Aishwarya’s mother Usha S stated that because of repeated quarrels between family members, Aishwarya had returned to her mother’s house in Vijayanagar about 20 days ago.
On October 26, Usha left the house at 7.30 am with her son. The housekeeper, Latha, also reportedly left at 8 am after completing house chores. Aishwarya was alone and hung herself from a ceiling fan.
She left a four-page death note, mentioning that her character was being assassinated and questioned by her parents-in-law, specifically her brother-in-law and his wife, who allegedly questioned her on her social media posts.
Paternal uncle, aunt blamed
She also blamed her paternal uncle and aunt in her death note.
However, Aishwarya’s family has no complaints against her husband, the police said.
The Govindarajanagar police have booked nine persons under Sections 304B (dowry death) and 498A (harassment of woman to meet unlawful demands) of the Indian Penal Code, and are investigating.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)