The victim, identified as Shilpa Panchangamath, had been married to Praveen, a former Oracle engineer who later quit his job to run a panipuri business.
Following the tragic death of Nikki Bhati due to alleged dowry harassment, many other such cases are coming to the fore. Nikki Bhati was allegedly set on fire by her in-laws over unmet dowry demands in Greater Noida.
In a recent reported case, a 27-year-old woman was found hanging at her home in Bengaluru allegedly over constant dowry harassment. The woman’s husband was arrested for allegedly abetting suicide.
According to reports, police have arrested Shilpa Panchangamath’s husband Praveen, a former Oracle engineer who later quit his job to run a panipuri business. Shilpa, who had previously worked with IT giant Infosys, had been married to Praveen for about two-and-a-half years. The couple has a one-and-a-half-year-old child. Shilpa, as per family, was pregnant again.
What is the victim’s family alleging?
In their complaint, Shilpa’s parents stated that Praveen’s family initially demanded Rs 15 lakh in cash, 150 grams of gold jewellery and household articles before the wedding. They alleged that despite fulfilling these demands, Shilpa was repeatedly pressured for more money and valuables after marriage.
According to Shilpa’s uncle Chennabasayya, the demands continued even after marriage. “A few months ago, he had taken another Rs 10 lakh from us. They now have a one-and-a-half-year-old child, and she is pregnant again. At the time of marriage, he claimed to be a B.E., M.Tech graduate. But for the past two years, he has been selling pani puri,” he added.
Alongside financial demands, Shilpa was also allegedly subjected to humiliating comments regarding her skin tone.
Doubt about her death
Chennabasayya also raised suspicions about the circumstances of Shilpa’s death. “Inside the house, there was no chair or anything placed under the fan. The fan was also not at a height easily reachable to anyone. There were no signs of the door being broken either,” he said.
Police have registered a case and further investigation is underway.
