A woman in Uttar Pradesh has been arrested in a dowry harassment case following a tragic incident where her daughter-in-law was severely burned and two granddaughters died, highlighting the ongoing issues surrounding dowry-related violence.
A 55-year-old woman has been arrested in connection with a dowry harassment case after her daughter-in-law sustained severe burn injuries and her two minor granddaughters died allegedly due to suffocation caused by smoke at her house in Shamli district, officials said on Thursday.
The accused, identified as Ishvari, was arrested from Kairana town on Wednesday evening, Circle Officer Hemant Kumar said.
He said a case was registered against Ishvari on May 7 at Kairana police station on a complaint lodged by Rahul, brother of the victim Anita, under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including charges of murder, attempt to murder, cruelty and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
According to the complaint, Anita (30) suffered serious burn injuries in the incident that took place at her matrimonial home in Kairana on May 7, while her daughters Vandana (10) and one-and-a-half-year-old Jasprit died allegedly due to suffocation from the smoke.
Rahul alleged that his sister had been subjected to harassment over dowry demands.
Police said Anita was initially admitted to a local hospital and later referred to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital, where she is undergoing treatment.
The complainant alleged that only the mother-in-law was present in the house at the time of the incident, police said.
Further investigation is underway, officials added.