Phulbani: A tragic case of alleged dowry harassment has come to light in Odisha’s Kandhamal district, where a young mother of two was found dead under suspicious circumstances on February 1.
Family of the victim, identified as Priyambada Pattnaik of Balangir district, has accused her husband and in-laws of beating her to death over persistent demands for additional dowry of Rs 50 lakh. Priyambada had married Aravind Mohanty of Phulbani in 2020.
According to family members, Priyambada’s life had been disturbed by relentless demands demanding money from her widowed mother and physical abuse. Despite already being married for nearly 6 years and raising 2 sons, her in-laws allegedly pressured her for more dowry, creating a hostile environment within the household. They further alleged that her in-laws abandoned her body at a hospital in Berhampur and it was later claimed by her mother.
The family, which lodged a written complaint at Phulbani Sadar Police Station on February 3, has questioned the delay in the arrest of her husband and in-laws.
“My daughter was kept under house arrest and I was not allowed to meet her. When I went to bring her back home after receiving a distress call, her in-laws did not let me see her. Her minor son is clearly saying that his mother was beaten to death in their house. I want justice for my daughter and her husband and in-laws must be jailed,” said the grieving mother.
Meanwhile, police have begun an investigation, recording statements and examining the circumstances surrounding the death. “We have charged her husband and in-laws with abetment of suicide and Section 85 (Marital discord) under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). We have questioned independent witnesses. A member from her in-laws’ family claimed she had consumed some medicines. All angles are under investigation,” Phulbani SDPO Subhrajit Biswal told the media.
