‘Assaulted, forced to abort’: Merchant Navy officer’s wife found dead in Lucknow | Latest News India

A 32-year-old woman who married a merchant navy officer just five months ago, was found dead at her home in Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow.

Her husband claimed she died by suicide. However, the woman’s family alleges that she was tortured over dowry and murdered, NDTV reported.

The post-mortem confirmed that the woman died due to hanging. Her husband, who works as a second officer for a Hong Kong-based shipping company, has been arrested. Police are questioning him to uncover the truth behind the incident, the report added.

The woman married her husband on February 25 this year after they connected through a matrimonial website. According to her family, her husband had demanded ₹15 lakh in dowry before the wedding.

WhatsApp chats shared by the family show her husband allegedly insisting on the amount, while woman’s family said they could only manage ₹5 lakh.

In the chats, her husband wrote that although he would invite “only 150 baaratis,” he wouldn’t reduce the dowry demand, the report said.

Woman’s father mentioned in his police complaint that her husband kept asking for dowry even after the wedding. Less than a month later, after Holi, he allegedly hit her for the first time, prompting her to return to her parental home.

Her father said he then paid the dowry amount, and he took her back, but the abuse didn’t stop.

Isolated and abused

“She was a cheerful person,” NDTV quoted woman’s sister as saying, adding, “But he didn’t want her to talk to anyone. We could only speak when he was out of town. He hit her for no reason, like placing a plate somewhere he didn’t like. He even pressured her to drink with him.”

The sister added that the deceased had lost touch with her friends after marriage and could only use her phone when her husband was away. “He used to check her phone, call records, and even her online orders,” she said.

Recalling their last conversation, she said her sister had told her about being assaulted again. “They were driving back from somewhere. The road had potholes, and it was raining, so she stayed to the left. Her husband accused her of looking at some men and hit her. That was the trigger,” she added.

She said she wanted to bring her sister home, but she declined, fearing another violent reaction. The report further added that in an audio clip shared by Priya, Madhu can be heard saying, “Mujhe bohut mara (he beat me up badly) because when he was drinking, I did not keep the bottle right in front of him.”

Infidelity and forced abortion

The deceased’s father has also alleged that her husband was having an extramarital affair and recently spent a night with his ex-girlfriend at a hotel.

“My daughter had become pregnant, but he forced her to abort,” he said. The family provided details of the hotel booking from July 31, four days before her death.

In the complaint, her father mentioned, “On August 3, she told her sister that her husband assaulted her. On August 4, at 4.32 pm, he called and said my daughter died by suicide… I believe he has killed my daughter.”

The family said she had also seen messages between her husband and his ex-girlfriend on his phone and had shared them.

The husband told police that he found his wife hanging around noon and called the 112 helpline. However, the deceased’s family alleged of not being informed till 4.30 pm, nearly five hours later.

Police also found that her husband had texted the maid not to come that day, but she missed the message and showed up anyway. She rang the bell multiple times, but no one answered. His phone records also show he ordered food online at around 10.30 am that morning, the report mentioned.

After his arrest, he told the police that his wife had taken her own life, but couldn’t explain what could have led to such a step.

Suicide helpline: (If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. Helplines: Aasra: 022 2754 6669; Sneha India Foundation: +914424640050 and Sanjivini: 011-24311918, Roshni Foundation (Secundrabad) Contact Nos: 040-66202001, 040-66202000, ONE LIFE: Contact No: 78930 78930, SEVA: Contact No: 09441778290)