'They demanded a car, physically abused her': 21-year-old newlywed dies by suicide in Gwalior weeks after wedding amid dowry demands
The deceased, Palak Rajak, a resident of Suraiya Pura under the Morar police station limits, had married on 14 April 2025. She was found hanging at her in-laws' residence and was first taken to Morar Hospital before being transferred to Birla Hospital at her family's request, where she was declared dead.
by Zee Media Bureau · Zee NewsA 21-year-old woman who had been married for less than a month died on 12 May at her in-laws' home in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, with her family alleging she was driven to suicide by relentless dowry demands, and that she may not have died alone in her suffering.
The deceased, Palak Rajak, a resident of Suraiya Pura under the Morar police station limits, had married on 14 April 2025. She was found hanging at her in-laws' residence and was first taken to Morar Hospital before being transferred to Birla Hospital at her family's request, where she was declared dead. A post-mortem examination was subsequently conducted.
City Superintendent of Police Atul Kumar Soni confirmed the incident and said the family's allegations pointed to a pattern of harassment that began disturbingly early in the marriage. "It is alleged that within just three to four months of the wedding, the in-laws began taunting the deceased and demanding a vehicle, behaviour that caused her significant distress and which she frequently discussed with her own family members," he said.
The family also alleged that Palak's in-laws had withheld her Stridhan, personal property a woman is entitled to under law, while subjecting her to continuous taunts. SP Soni said a case would be registered against the in-laws based on the post-mortem report, recorded statements, and evidence gathered from the scene.
Palak's father, Mohar Singh, said he had tried repeatedly to intervene. "My daughter told me that her in-laws were demanding a car. I would speak to them repeatedly, but after a few days, they would revert to their old ways, physically abusing her and subjecting her to taunts," he said. He called for the strictest possible action, adding that her father-in-law is a government employee. "Something like this should never happen to anyone else's daughter again," he said.
Palak's death is the latest in a series of similar cases drawing public attention. Earlier this month, 33-year-old Twisha Sharma, who had married Bhopal resident Samarth Singh in December 2024, also died on 12 May under comparable circumstances. Her family alleged mental torture and dowry harassment, and police have since registered a case against her husband and mother-in-law, retired judge Giribala Singh, forming a Special Investigation Team to investigate.
In a third case, a woman named Deepika died under suspicious circumstances after allegedly falling from the rooftop of her in-laws' house in Greater Noida's Jalpura village, barely eighteen months after her wedding. Her husband, Hrithik, and father-in-law, Manoj, were arrested after her family alleged sustained harassment over dowry.
The cases, taken together, paint a grim picture of a crime that refuses to go away, one that continues to claim young lives long after the wedding flowers have wilted.
(With ANI inputs)