Another Dowry Tragedy: Jodhpur woman set herself and 3-year-old daughter on fire amid ‘harassment by in-laws’

In yet another tragic case of dowry harassment, a school lecturer in Rajasthan's Jodhpur district set herself and her three-year-old daughter on fire on Friday. The child, Yashasvi, died at the scene, while the mother, Sanju Bishnoi, passed away during treatment on Saturday morning, according to a report by the Hindustan Times.

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According to the report, the police has recovered an alleged suicide note revealing that she was harassed by her husband and in-laws for dowry.

According to the complaint filed by the victim’s father, the woman married the accused 12 years ago, and they gave a car, along with other valuables, in dowry. But, she faced continuous harassment. The situation reportedly worsened after the birth of their daughter, the complaint said, as reported by HT.

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Assistant commissioner of police (Mandore) Nagendra Kumar said: “A note, found during the probe, detailed serious allegations of harassment by the deceased’s husband and her in-laws. The woman mentioned the alleged torture as the reason for taking her own life and that of her daughter. The police have seized the deceased’s mobile phone and sent it to Forensic Science Laboratory.”

Facing dowry harassment from your in-laws? Here’s how you can file a complaint

If you are facing dowry harassment or pressure from your in-laws, it's important to know that you have legal rights and protection under Indian law. Here's where and how you can file a complaint:

1. Police Station (Local PS or Women’s Police Station). Go to your nearest police station or a women’s police station in your area. You can file an FIR (First Information Report) under Section 498A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with cruelty by a husband or his relatives, including dowry-related harassment.

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2. National or State Women’s Commission: File a complaint with the National Commission for Women (NCW). The official website is ncw.nic.in.

3. National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (if harassment includes digital abuse): https://cybercrime.gov.in. NCW Online Complaint Form: https://ncw.nic.in/onlinecomplaint. Women (NCW) 7827170170 (WhatsApp).

Between 2017 and 2022, an average of 7,000 dowry death cases were reported annually across India, according to data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

(With inputs from HT)