A 26-year-old newlywed died by suicide just 48 days after her marriage, with her family accusing her husband and in-laws of subjecting her to physical and mental harassment.
The alleged abuse stemmed from disputes over dowry gifts and related expectations.
The victim's family revealed that while everything seemed normal before her 30 April marriage to Dr Nitin Tilkar, the environment worsened immediately afterwards. The groom's family was reportedly dissatisfied with not receiving the desired amount of dowry gifts and 'respect' during the wedding, reported NDTV.
Family members claimed that Vishakha faced relentless pressure to demand jewellery and money from her parents. Beyond physical abuse, the harassment included extreme surveillance. Her husband, Dr Tilkar, had peppered their home with CCTV cameras both inside and outside to monitor her every move, completely stripping her of privacy and driving her to despair.
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'Whenever she spoke to anyone, she would be brutally beaten,' a family member stated. Two days prior to her death, Vishakha was severely thrashed merely for speaking to a female neighbour. Driven to despair by the pervasive monitoring and violence, she took her own life.
The family said Vishakha had informed her mother about the abuse she was facing. They said her parents had begun making arrangements to bring her back home, but before that could happen, they were informed that she had allegedly hanged herself, NDTV reported.
The Shivajinagar Police Station in Ambernath has registered a case against the husband, Nitin Tilkar, his mother Chhaya, and his brother Ninad. The husband has been arrested.
They face charges of physical and mental harassment, as well as abetment of suicide.
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