TV
A 22-year-old woman was allegedly smothered to death by her in-laws in Bhadrak district over unmet dowry demands, just days after she returned home following the birth of a stillborn child.
The deceased, Pushpalata Behera, was found dead in her in-laws' residence in Badaostia village under Chandabali police limits on Sunday, prompting her family to accuse her husband and his parents of dowry-related murder.
According to reports, the deceased’s family lodged a formal complaint at Chandabali Police Station, alleging that Pushpalata was killed for failing to bring a DJ vehicle as dowry.
They alleged that his husband had made this demand to her father, who, being a daily wage labourer, could not reportedly meet.
“They pressed a pillow over her face and killed her. Then they abandoned her body at the hospital and disappeared,” alleged Hrushikesh Behera, the victim’s father. “I’m a poor man. I couldn’t buy them a DJ vehicle as it costs Rs 10-12 lakh,” he added.
Dowry Allegations Span Three Years
Sources reported that Pushpalata had married Nirmal Barik in 2022 in a love marriage, but her family claims the relationship quickly turned abusive. From the second year of marriage, she allegedly faced repeated mental and physical harassment over dowry, including verbal abuse, beatings, and threats.
“They kept demanding more even after we gave gold, furniture, and clothes. When she got pregnant, we hoped things would change. But it only got worse,” claimed Purnima Behera, the deceased’s mother.
According to the complaint, the harassment escalated after Pushpalata gave birth to a stillborn baby via C-section on July 11. After being discharged from a private hospital on July 17, she returned to her in-laws' home in a fragile state. Just four days later, she was found dead.
In-Laws Claim Suicide, Cite Mental Trauma
In contrast, the in-laws deny all allegations and have claimed that Pushpalata died by taking her own life due to depression following the stillbirth.
“She had lost her mental balance after the baby’s death. She hanged herself,” said Narendra Barik, her husband’s uncle.
However, the family disputes this narrative. They allege the in-laws tried to make the murder appear as a suicide, left her body at Chandabali Medical, and fled. Her parents reached the hospital and later sat in protest for hours, demanding police action.
Meanwhile, Chandabali Police have sent the body for post-mortem and have begun an inquiry to verify the family’s allegations. As of the last reports, no arrests have been made.
