Dowry of 300 gold sovereigns, ₹70 lakh car not enough? Tamil Nadu bride dies by suicide, blames husband, in-laws

Mint

30-06-2025

In a tragic incident, a woman allegedly died by suicide two months after her marriage, following severe physical and mental torture by her husband and in-laws over dowry.
The incident took place on Saturday in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur district.
The woman, identified as 27-year-old Rithanya, was married to 28-year-old Kavin Kumar in a grand ceremony on 11 April 2025.
News18 reported that Rithanya's family gave a lavish dowry of 300 sovereigns of gold and a ₹ 70 lakh Volvo car, spent ₹ 2.5 crore on the wedding, and promised to give an additional 200 sovereigns.
She was relentlessly harassed by Kavin, father-in-law Easwaramoorthy, and mother-in-law Chithradevi, who demanded the remaining 200 sovereigns, the media report said.
She was also subjected to humiliation over minor issues, forcing her to stand for hours, among other acts of cruelty.
On 29 June, Rithanya visited the Thalakkarai Lakshmi Narasimha Perumal Temple. Later, she bought pesticide from Seyur, and while en route to the Mondipalayam Perumal Temple, she consumed it inside her car parked by the roadside, the report said.
Later, the police were informed, and Rithanya was rushed to Avinashi Government Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.
Before the suicide, the woman sent a WhatsApp voice message to her father, Annadurai, holding Kavin Kumar and her in-laws responsible for her death.
The police have lodged a case of abetment to suicide and arrested Kavin Kumar, his father and mother.
The tragic incident has sparked public outrage, with the victim's family members staging a protest at the hospital. They are demanding immediate action against the accused.
Her audio message has gone viral on social media, intensifying calls for justice.
Three women were arrested in Ballia district in connection with the alleged murder of a newly-wed woman over the matter of dowry, officials said on 21 June.
Sapna (22), wife of Narendra Chauhan, was found dead in a room at her in-laws' house in Kotwa village, under the Maniyar Police Station area.
Her body was allegedly discovered in a position that suggested suicide, as it was found hanging from a ceiling fan, the police stated.
Maniyar Station House Officer (SHO) Ratnesh Dubey stated that upon receiving the information, the police reached the scene, took custody of Sapna's body, and sent it for post-mortem examination at the district hospital.
"The FIR names her husband, Narendra Chauhan, his sister, Champa Devi, and two sisters-in-law, Puja Devi and Reena Devi. They were booked under sections of the BNS and Dowry Prohibition Act," the SHO had said.