A newly wed woman, said to have consumed poison, died at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (GH) on Wednesday. More than 200 residents and relatives of the victim staged a protest in front of the office of the revenue divisional officer (RDO), Ponneri, on Thursday demanding an inquiry into her death.
The police said on Wednesday V. Deepa, was found frothing at the mouth at her in-laws’ house in Thiruvenkata Puram near Ponneri. Her husband, K. Vijayakumar (25), a teacher at a private school, informed her parents. Before her father, Manoharan, a farmer, and his family reached the place, Vijayakumar had taken her to GH, where doctors declared her ‘dead on arrival’.
While Vijayakumar and his family claimed she had died after consuming poison, Manoharan and his family members, who saw Deepa’s body in the morgue, claimed they had found some bruises on her neck. A complaint of dowry harassment and murder has been registered with the Ponneri police by Manoharan.
According to the police, Vijayakumar and Deepa, a B.com graduate, got married four months ago. Manoharan claimed he had given 30 sovereigns of jewellery and other gifts as dowry. A few weeks ago, when she visited her parents’ house, Deepa lost seven sovereigns of jewellery. Vijayakumar allegedly forced her to demand 20 more sovereigns from her parents. However, she had refused to do so, Manoharan said.
Vijayakumar and his family, fearing arrest, were on the run, the police said.
The protesting group dispersed after the RDO Parthiban told them an inquiry, led by him, would be conducted.
