A court in Kerala’s Kollam on Monday found a man guilty of harassing his 23-year-old wife for dowry and pushing her to suicide. The quantum of punishment will be announced on Tuesday.
The woman’s husband was arrested after she was found dead at their residence on June 21 last year. He was the lone accused in the case while his parents were exonerated.
The woman’s family said their daughter, an Ayurveda student, was harassed over the car they gifted her at the time of her wedding. They added their son-in-law told their daughter that he was entitled to a luxury car and the one gifted was only worth ₹10 lakh. He also complained frequently about the low mileage of the vehicle.
The family also said they gifted the 23-year-old over 100 sovereigns of gold, one-acre land, among other things but her husband wanted more.
Before her suicide, she sent photos of injury marks and scars she allegedly suffered at the hands of her husband.
The suicide provoked outrage and governor Arif Mohammad Khan was among those who visited her family. Many universities in the state made it mandatory for students to sign a declaration pledging they will not ask or give dowry after the suicide came to light. Khan first mooted the idea and later the state government supported his suggestion.