Man booked along with three kin for ‘murdering’ wife

According to family members of the victim, the incident was reported around 11.30 am on Friday, when Suchim called up Pooja’s maternal uncle Jai Ram in Bangalore saying that Pooja had allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself.

“Around 10.30 am on Friday, Pooja had called me up to say that Suchim was harassing her for dowry. She pleaded that we come and take her back to Bangalore, or else he will beat her. We talked for around half an hour, after which she hung up saying Suchim had come back home, and she will call me later. Around 11.30 am, Suchim called Pooja’s maternal uncle (mamaji), saying that she had committed suicide,” said Pooja’s mother Jayshree in her complaint to the police.

Suchim’s family took Pooja to a private hospital in Sector 25, where doctors declared her dead. The police were informed around 4 pm, and the body was shifted to the mortuary of the General Hospital, Sector 6, for conducting a post-mortem.

Pooja’s family members who reached Panchkula on Saturday alleged that Pooja was murdered by Suchim and his family members — father Anil Gupta, mother Anita Gupta and grandmother Chanchal Gupta — as they harassed her for dowry. Suchim and his family members were booked under Section 302 (murder) and Section 304-B (dowry death) of the Indian Penal Code at Chandimandir Police Station.

“Suchim and his family members had begun to harass my daughter, two months after marriage. She used to complain that Suchim was treating her badly, and used to beat her while asking for more dowry. They did not let her eat properly, and even sent her back to Bangalore in November last year. But again began to harass her when she returned 20 days later. He asked for Rs 5 lakh more,” said Jayshree.

Pooja’s family members alleged that they had given Rs 10 lakh in cash and jewellery worth several lakhs to Suchim during marriage, but still they were demanding more money. “She could not have committed suicide,” said Pooja’s maternal uncle, showing pictures that Pooja had sent on WhatsApp to her sister on January 29, two days before the incident, where Pooja had happily clicked her selfies and told her family that she was well.