Harassed by in-laws for male child and dowry, woman ends life

Thane: A 25-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide following harassment by her husband and in-laws for dowry and giving birth to two daughters, police said on Thursday.

Surekha Desale got married to Sharad Desale, a resident of Khinavali village in Sahapur taluka, in May 2016. She gave birth to a daughter in 2017 and another girl in January this year, a police official said.

Since the marriage, her in-laws allegedly harassed her for dowry and later for giving birth to two daughters, while they desired a male child, he said.

The woman had apparently informed her parents about the alleged harassment, the official said. 

Last Saturday, her in-laws called up her parents saying she was missing. Later that night, her body was found floating in a village well, he said.

Based on a complaint by her brother, the police on Wednesday booked her husband, father-in-law, brother-in-law and sister-in-law under IPC Sections 304-B, (dowry death) 306 (abetment of suicide), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 498-A (cruelty) and 506 (criminal intimidation), he said.

No arrest was made so far, he said, adding that a probe was underway in the case.