New Delhi, July 19: A 28-year-old woman, married for seven years, was allegedly burnt to death Sunday by her in-laws in Delhi, police and her family said.
Deepika Bajaj, who has a six-year-old daughter, called police before dying and told them that she had been set on fire by her husband and in-laws, an official said.
“We received a call at around 8.30 in the morning when the deceased woman, Deepika Bajaj, called us before dying and told that she has been set on fire inside her home by her husband and in-laws,” the police officer said.
Police said they rushed to her Krishna Nagar residence in east Delhi and saw “her burnt very badly”. She was taken to a hospital but was declared “brought dead”.
Deepika was working with the Hyundai Group and had married Aditya Bajaj seven years ago after falling in love.
Her family members alleged that she was harassed by her in-laws who were demanding dowry.
“They used to beat her and sometimes even in front of us,” her younger brother Harmeet told.
Harmeet alleged that Deepika’s in-laws were demanding “Rs.1 million for the marriage of her brother-in-law.”
“We had even complained to the Crime Against Women cell against her husband and her in-laws,” he said.
“Her husband Aditya Bajaj had taken Rs.250,000 from us to buy a car, of which we have a proof as Aditya has signed an affidavit,” he said.
“The affidavit should be enough to prove what we are saying. Their greed has killed her,” he added.
The accused husband, Aditya, is absconding even though he was present in the house at the time of the incident. But his parents and cousin Abhishek have been detained, said the police officer. Deepika’s autopsy would be conducted Monday.
“Prima facie, the allegations of the girl’s family seem true. Financial conditions of her in-laws’ is very bad and she was the only one with a proper job since Aditya’s business closed down, whereas Deepika’s family is financially very stable,” the officer said.
—IANS