May 20, 2026
Model’s death over alleged dowry harassment gains national attention in India
The case of a 33-year-old Indian woman who died by suicide last week, just months after her wedding, has grabbed national attention as her parents alleged harassment and possible foul play.Â
The woman, who had worked as a model and a marketing professional, was found hanging by her belt at her in-laws’ house just five months into her marriage.Â
After the initial postmortem, which ruled her death a suicide, the deceased’s parents refused to accept her body and called for a second postmortem as they suspected foul play and evidence tampering, news outlet Times of India reported.Â
«There were a lot of faults in the postmortem, and without even submitting the ligature, the postmortem report was released. They were asking us to take the body. What kind of findings are these?» her father told reporters.
Allegations of harassment
New Delhi Television (NDTV) reported that the woman called her mother on the night of May 12 to provide details of harassment she had been facing at the hands of her husband and mother-in-law.Â
The report said the call was cut abruptly when her husband entered the room. About 15 minutes later, another call reportedly informed the parents that their daughter was not breathing.
Indian police registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the woman’s husband and mother-in-law. Local police have issued a lookout notice and announced a monetary reward for information that leads to the discovery of the husband, who remains missing.
The police maintain that the 33-year-old died by suicide and not murder, but admitted to lapses over the handling of the belt allegedly used to commit suicide, which did not reach the mortuary.Â
In an interview with NDTV, the mother-in-law denied any wrongdoing and accused the woman of being schizophrenic and having a split personality.
India saw over 6,000 cases of dowry deaths registered in 2023, according to government data released by the Home Ministry in March 2026.Â
Dowry harassment remains a widely occurring and under-reported phenomenon in India, despite stringent laws, as social stigma around divorce and separation remains high.
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