A 23-year-old married woman, who sustained severe burn injuries during an accident in Ramdarbar, breathed her last in GMCH-32 on Wednesday. The family of the deceased is alleging that the victim was set on fire by her in-laws, over dowry issues.
The victim, Anjali Devi, a resident of Ramdarbar, suffered 85 per cent burn after the gas stove on which she was cooking exploded on the night of April 29. She was admitted to the GMCH-32, where she succumbed to her burn injuries, said Kirpal Singh, SHO, PS-31.
However, in her dyeing statement recorded with the magistrate the lady said that it was a case of accident and didn’t complain against anyone for the incident,” added the official.
However the family members of the deceased are claiming that it was not an accident case. Geeta, sister of the deceased said,”Anjali was set on fire by her husband (Jatinder Kumar) and her mother-in-law (Gurmeet Kaur). Anjali was being harassed by her in-laws for dowry.”
Anjali and Jatinder were in a relationship and they got married two year back, but soon after their marriage her in-laws started harassing her and her parents for dowry. She was beaten by her husband several times to pressurize her family to give in to their demands for dowry, she added.
The statements of Geeta have been recorded by the Investigating Officer and further investigations in the matter are under progress, added the SHO.
Meanwhile, the bereaved sister said, “When I was alone in the hospital room with my sister, she told me that she was forcibly set on fire by her husband and mother-in-law and her husband had threatened to kill her if she disclosed the facts before anyone. Jatinder had also promised her that he would not press her for dowry again.”