A 26-year-old woman was found hanged at her marital home in Ambernath in Maharashtra’s Thane district a month and a half after her marriage, prompting police to arrest her doctor husband and two of his family members on charges including abetment to suicide, officials said on Thursday.
According to the police, the woman was allegedly subjected to constant dowry-related harassment and constant surveillance, which prompted her to take the extreme step.
A case has been registered under Section 108 (abetment to suicide) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act and other relevant provisions at Shivaji Nagar police station in Ambernath, an officer said.
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The accused were identified as Dr. Nitin Telkar, his mother Chhaya Telkar, and his brother Ninad Telkar. The three were arrested on Wednesday after the victim’s family filed a complaint accusing them of cruelty and incitement to suicide.
The deceased, Vishakha Telkar, married Dr Nitin Telkar on April 30, police said. She was found hanged in her marital home on Tuesday.
Her family claimed that she faced severe psychological and physical harassment due to her demands for more gold jewelery and cash.
“Our preliminary investigations indicate that the accused husband installed CCTV cameras inside and outside the house to carefully monitor his wife’s movements,” Shivajinagar Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Patil said.
Investigators said Vishakha was questioned about her daily routine and was assaulted if she interacted with neighbours. Officials added that she reported the harassment to her mother, but she died before her parents could bring her home.
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The case comes amid increasing scrutiny of alleged dowry-related harassment and domestic violence.
Increasing cases of dowry
Earlier this week, Odisha Police arrested the husband of a judicial officer on charges of dowry harassment and domestic violence following a complaint filed by the officer. The 34-year-old accused was taken into custody on Monday after the judicial officer, currently posted in Odisha’s Nabarangpur district, filed a written complaint at Mahila police station in Bhubaneswar.
According to the police, the couple had been facing marital discord for nearly 10 months, with the complainant alleging that her husband subjected her to mental and physical cruelty during this period.
According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data released in 2025, more than 6,100 women died in dowry-related incidents in 2023, while cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act rose by 14% compared to the previous year.
Note: Discussing suicides may be triggering for some. However, suicides can be prevented. Some of the major helpline numbers for suicide prevention in India are 011-23389090 from Soumyatri (Delhi based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai based).
(with PTI inputs)
