Dowry death suspected in Singtam

GANGTOK, 27 Sept: The Singtam police has charged one person on grounds of dowry related death. Pradeep Kumar Gupta of Gangtok has been booked under section 304 ‘B’ of the IPC which accuses him of having led his deceased wife to commit suicide. The wife had been found at the Rani Khola below Mangthang and a case of unnatural death had been registered at that time. A magisterial inquiry was conducted as the death had occurred within 7 years of marriage, an incident, which given the high number of dowry deaths in our country, automatically attracts a magisterial inquiry.
Following investigation into the case, the police uncovered that there had been numerous demands for money by the husband made to his in-laws. The deceased was originally from Biratnagar, Nepal and had married the accused in 2008. However, differences appeared in the marriage with the husband reportedly demanding dowry. Some of his demands had also been met, it is informed. However the frequent demands from the husband and the subsequent mental harassment had led to the death of the wife, the police investigation concluded.
Section 304 B states “Where the death of a woman is caused by any burns or bodily injury or occurs otherwise than under normal circumstances within seven years of her marriage and it is shown that soon before her death she was subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or any relative of her husband for, or in connection with, any demand for dowry, such death shall be called "dowry death", and such husband or relative shall be deemed to have caused her death.” The punishment, for the guilty, is imprisonment for not less than 7 years.