HYDERABAD: The shamiyana erected at the residence of software engineer G Vijaya Lakshmi in Bouduppal was where her marriage rituals were to begin this morning. The muhurtam was at 7.30 a.m. But what unfolded was the techie’s funeral, not marriage.
Just hours before the marriage, shock and grief enveloped the house as the brideto-be ended her life late last night. And the man who drove her to the extreme was none other than her would-be Chakradhar.
An employee of the Bangalore-based Tata Elxsi, Vijaya Lakshmi hanged herself from the ceiling after Chakradhar refused to marry her at the 11th hour.
"They were demanding Rs 10 lakh more as dowry and we expressed our inability to pay that much," G Venkatesh, Lakshmi’s maternal uncle, told Express.
The family had already paid Rs five lakh to Chakradhar and negotiations were going on between the two sides. Vijaya Lakshmi was under the impression that the matter would be sorted out. However, last night, Lakshmi’s brother told her that Chakradhar was refusing to marry and that the marriage was cancelled. A shocked Lakshmi herself called up Chakradhar.
‘‘She pleaded with Chakradhar against taking a hasty decision as her life was at stake but he was adamant. Moreover, he told her that he got another proposal and the girl’s parents were willing to pay Rs 30 lakh. This shattered her,’’ said Venkatesh.
Minutes after the conversation, Lakshmi locked herself up in a room and hanged
herself. Before cancelling the marriage, Chakradhar, who is doing his Ph.D in South Korea, told Lakshmi’s family members that they did not receive him properly when he landed in the city on August 6.
‘‘Because he had another proposal (of Rs 30 lakh), he wanted to get rid of us by making false claims,’’ Venkatesh said.
The alliance was fixed through the Salivahana Sangham’s marriage bureau. Uppal Inspector Bhasker said based on a complaint lodged by Lakshmi’s family, caseswere registered against Chakradhar.
