Young woman dies over dowry dispute; complaint filed against four individuals
The complaint alleges that Shivani was subjected to continuous physical and mental abuse over demands for dowry and a motorcycle, driving her to commit suicide. Police have stated that three individuals, including her husband and mother-in-law, have been arrested in connection with the incident for further investigation.
MAHOTTARI:- A young woman has allegedly died in Mahottari due to torture inflicted by her in-laws over dowry demands, less than two months after her marriage. The deceased, 22-year-old Shivani Raut—a native of Sursand, India—died in Pipara Rural Municipality-5, Mahottari.
Her mother, Ruby Devi, has alleged that the in-laws subjected her daughter to physical and mental abuse because additional dowry items—such as a motorcycle and gold—were not provided, and claims that this abuse led to her daughter’s death.
Rubi had visited her daughter Shivani’s in-laws’ home in Pipara after attending a *Mundan* (tonsure) ceremony at her maternal uncle’s house in Ramaul, Jaleshwar Municipality-8, Mahottari. During the visit, her daughter revealed that her in-laws were subjecting her to mental and physical abuse because a motorcycle and gold had not been provided as dowry.
Rubi stated that when she requested her in-laws to allow her daughter, Shivani, to attend the *mundan* (ritual head-shaving) ceremony, they replied that she would not be allowed to go anywhere until a motorcycle and gold were provided. “I visited my daughter around 2 PM and left. Four hours later, in the evening, I received the news of her death,” she said.
Upon immediately arriving at the Provincial Hospital in Janakpur, Ruby observed bruises on her daughter’s neck and alleged that her in-laws had strangled her to death. She has filed a formal complaint with the District Police Office, Mahottari, against four members of her in-laws’ family regarding this allegation.
The complaint names the deceased’s husband, Sajan Raut; her brothers-in-law, Prem Raut and Nirajan Raut; and her mother-in-law, Nutan Devi, as the accused parties.
According to the complaint, Shivani married Sajan Raut on Asar 16, 2083 BS. Although dowry and other items were provided in accordance with the family’s means at the time of the wedding, the complaint alleges that the opposing parties subsequently subjected the daughter to repeated physical and mental abuse while demanding additional dowry—including gold—and a motorcycle.
Dipukumar Kapar—the maternal uncle of the deceased, Shivani, and a resident of Jaleshwar Municipality-8—stated that on the night of Bhadra 4 (around 7 PM), Shivani had told him that her husband, mother-in-law, and brothers-in-law were pressuring her to bring a motorcycle and were subjecting her to strangulation, physical assault, and mental torture. He claimed that Shivani died due to the issue of dowry.
According to Kapar, although Shivani’s in-laws claimed she committed suicide by hanging, the family became suspicious upon seeing the condition of the body. He informed that the body was not subjected to a post-mortem examination at the Provincial Hospital in Janakpur but was instead sent to the hospital in Dharan for further examination.
The complaint alleges that Shivani was subjected to continuous physical and mental abuse over demands for dowry and a motorcycle, driving her to commit suicide. Police have stated that three individuals, including her husband and mother-in-law, have been arrested in connection with the incident for further investigation.
Deputy Superintendent of Police Panchalal Gole, spokesperson for the District Police Office, Mahottari, confirmed receipt of the complaint and stated that an investigation into the incident is underway.
