3 brothers lose sister on Raksha Bandhan eve; family alleges dowry death

A day before Raksha Bandhan, three brothers in Rajasthan’s Dholpur district were left with empty wrists after their sister was found dead. Her death turned the family’s festive celebrations into mourning.

The incident took place in Chilachond village under the Aangai police station area of the district, where the body of a 28-year-old married woman was found under a neem tree in a field.

A noose was found around her neck, while blood stains were found on her body and in the field.

After receiving the information, police and Sarmathura Circle Officer Dulichand reached the spot and collected evidence. The body was sent for a post-mortem examination by a medical board.

The woman’s father has accused her in-laws and husband of beating her to death.

He has also alleged that her husband had a relationship with another woman and that she was being harassed over dowry.

A case has been registered and is being investigated by Sarmathura Circle Officer Dulichand.

In his complaint filed at the police station, the woman’s father, Mangal Singh, a resident of Khemri in Dholpur, said he had married his 28-year-old daughter, Janki Bai, to Sunil Meena, son of Nekram Meena and a resident of Chilachond village, three years ago. Sunil works as a male nurse at CHC Dhannu Ka Pura.

Singh said the family had given Rs 12.5 lakh in cash as dowry and goods worth Rs 3.5 lakh at the time of the marriage.

A year after the marriage, Janki Bai told her father that her husband treated her badly and did not love her. Her family counselled her and sent her back to her in-laws’ home, but her complaints continued. They also repeatedly tried to reason with her in-laws and her husband Sunil.

Janki later told her family that Sunil hated her and would come home late at night and ask her to leave. Despite this, her father went to her in-laws’ home several times along with two or three other people and tried to counsel Sunil. Singh alleged that Sunil demanded Rs 20 lakh and was in a relationship with another woman nurse.

Mangal Singh said his daughter called him at around 8 pm on Wednesday. Janki Bai told him, “Papa, they have not changed. You had said they would change. But Sunil is still talking to me in the same way.”

He then heard his daughter crying before the call was disconnected. He could not speak to her again. He also asked an acquaintance from the village to go to her in-laws’ home and try to intervene.

On Thursday morning, Singh was informed that his daughter had died and was asked to come quickly. When he reached the spot, he found his daughter’s body lying in the field, covered in blood. He lodged a complaint against her in-laws and husband Sunil, alleging that Janki Bai had been beaten to death with sticks and clubs.

Janki is survived by her two-year-old daughter.

Mangal Singh also alleged that his daughter’s husband, Sunil Meena, was in a relationship with a woman nurse and that both worked at different government hospitals. He claimed that Sunil mistreated his daughter because of this relationship. Singh said he had repeatedly tried to counsel Sunil, but he did not change and eventually beat his daughter to death.

Speaking about the case, SSI Chandrabhan Singh said police had initially received information that a woman had died by suicide in Chilachond village. After receiving the information, Circle Officer Dulichand, the Aangai police station SHO and a police team reached the spot and inspected the scene.

The deceased was identified as 28-year-old Janki Bai, wife of Sunil Meena. Her body was taken into custody and sent to the government hospital in Bari. Following a complaint by the woman’s family, a case was registered against her in-laws.

The officer said a noose was found around the woman’s neck and that, prima facie, she appeared to have died after suffering a head injury when the rope broke. The case is currently being investigated by Circle Officer Dulichand.