Husband, sister-in-law arrested in Uttarakhand teacher's alleged dowry death case

Uttarakhand Police have arrested the husband and sister-in-law of a government school teacher who was found hanging at her in-laws' home in Dehradun, with investigators probing allegations of dowry harassment and murder.

Srishti Kandari was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her in-laws' house in the Harrawala area on July 29, Wednesday.

Senior Superintendent of Police Pramendra Singh Dobal said Srishti's husband, Saurabh Khatri, 36, and his 37-year-old sister were arrested on Saturday based on witness statements and other evidence.

Srishti had married Khatri, an employee of the Uttarakhand Secretariat, in November 2023.

Police registered a case after Srishti's mother, Seema Kandari, alleged her daughter had been subjected to continuous mental and physical harassment over dowry and other issues since her marriage and accused her in-laws of murdering her.

The case was filed against Khatri, his mother and his sister under Section 80(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which deals with dowry death.

During the investigation, police obtained a video provided by Srishti's mother in which the teacher allegedly described the harassment she faced at her in-laws' home. The video later circulated on social media, triggering widespread public outrage.

Dobal said police would seek to ensure a speedy trial through a fast-track court.