Newlywed found dead in river, family alleges dowry killing

BAREILLY: A 21-year-old woman, who had been married for just 16 days, was found dead in a river on Sunday, with her family alleging that she was killed by her in-laws over dowry demands, police said. The body of Sridevi, a resident of Raghuvipura village under the Bisharatganj police station limits, was recovered from the river, police added. SHO Pradeep Kumar Chaturvedi said police have registered a case based on a complaint lodged by the woman's family and are investigating the matter from all angles. According to her family, Sridevi married a man from neighbouring Budaun district on June 26. They alleged that she was harassed over dowry demands soon after the wedding, prompting her to return to her parental home and refuse to go back to her husband's house. Her family said Sridevi left home on July 9 without informing anyone and never returned. After searching for her unsuccessfully, they were told by villagers that she had been seen heading towards the river. According to news agency PTI, police, assisted by local residents and divers, launched a search operation and recovered her body from the river on Sunday. Sridevi's father, Netrapal, alleged that his daughter had been subjected to continuous harassment over dowry demands and sought strict action against those responsible for her death. Further action will be taken after receiving the post-mortem report and completion of the investigation, the police told PTI.