Two women allegedly killed for dowry in Sarlahi

Two women have been allegedly killed for dowry in Sarlahi, the district in Madhesh Province. Pharadawa of Haripur municipality-3 and Laxmipur of Haripur-6 reports two cases of dowry-related deaths recently, according to police.

Abdul Shah Phakir of Pharhadawa allegedly murdered his spouse Ida Khatun, around 23 years of age accusing her of not meeting his expectation for a dowry, District Police Office Sarlahi Chief Superintendent of Police, Naresh Raj Subedi said. Phakir was reportedly torturing her mentally, emotionally and physically for not convincing her parents to gift him cash of Rs 100 thousand. Following his torture, Ida went to her parent's home and returned sometime back after the two families sat for discussions, according to police.

Ida's father Mansur Shah said Abdul and his family were torturing his daughter time and again as they failed to meet their monetary demand. As he said, Ida's five-year-old son reported to his grandfather that his mother was killed by the family. He said during the observation, he noticed that Ida's body had residues of mud and a piece of cloth was pushed into her mouth. As he said, his daughter was first beaten to death and hanged to 'show' that she committed suicide.

Police have arrested two on the charge of their involvement in the crime and Ida's body has been kept at the Provincial Hospital, Sarlahi for post-mortem examinations.

Similarly, the body of Indrakala Devi Shah around 45 years of age was seized by police from a cremation pyre over the suspicious circumstances surrounding her death. It is said Indrakala's husband Rajaram Shah beat her leaving her severely injured for not meeting his dowry expectations. She was not taken to a hospital, letting her die. She breathed her last after sometimes.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Dipendra Panjiyar, Spokesperson for the District Police Office Sarlahi, said the police intercepted when Indrakala's dead body was being cremated, taking control of it after getting the information that the body was being cremated at the local Lakhandehi river.

The police send the half-burnt body to the Provincial Hospital Sarlahi for a post-mortem examination, Panjiyar said.

Indrakala's spouse Rajaram is absconding since the day the incident took place. Police have taken six people who took the body for cremation without fulfilling the legal procedures into custody.