Tortured for one sovereign of gold and AC; newlywed bride commits suicide just three days after wedding

CHENNAI: In a shocking incident, a newlywed bride committed suicide just three days after her wedding, reportedly due to dowry harassment. The incident took place in Ponneri in Chennai. The deceased has been identified as 22-year-old Lokeshwari. According to the police, the woman was brutally tortured by her husband and in-laws in the name of dowry.

Lokeshwari got married on June 27. She was found dead in the bathroom of her husband’s home on June 30. Following the incident, her father Gajendran lodged a complaint with the Ponneri police. In his complaint, he alleged that Lokeshwari's husband demanded more gold, an air conditioner and other household appliances. Police also stated that there was a quarrel between the couple prior to the suicide.

Lokeshwari's family had initially agreed to provide five sovereigns of gold as dowry, but were only able to give four. They also alleged that their daughter's in-laws pressured them to deliver the remaining gold as soon as possible. However, the husband's family has denied these allegations. Police confirmed that a case has been registered and an investigation is underway.

The incident follows closely on the heels of another dowry-related suicide reported in Tiruppur, where 27-year-old Ridhanya took her life due to similar harassment. Ridhanya had married in April, and her family had reportedly given 100 sovereigns of gold and a Volvo car worth Rs 70 lakh as dowry. However, the in-laws considered it insufficient and allegedly subjected her to continuous mental torture.