Chennai: The Mahila court has awarded 7 years of rigorous imprisonment to a 56-year old man on a charge of driving his daughter-in-law to commit suicide. He harassed the woman demanding her to bring more dowry from her parents 5 years ago.
According to Gowri Asokan special public prosecutor Karthiga and Vivek Daniel, who was working in a real estate office, were having a love affair.
With the blessing of the elders of both the families, they were married in a temple at Tiruvannamalai on August 20, 2008. At the time of the wedding, Vivek received 60 sovereigns of gold jewellery, household articles worth Rs 10 lakh, laptop, a two-wheeler and other valuables. Later, the wedding reception was conducted in a grand manner at Washermenpet at the expense of her parents.
After marriage, the couple resided in a separate house and again her parents paid the lease amount of Rs 4 lakh for taking a house on lease. Since then, Vivek and his sister Reena and his parents J. Wesly and Sandhiya, harassed her to bring a huge amount as dowry for starting a business. With great difficulty, her parents gave Vivek Rs 6 lakh and later Rs 5.80 lakh.
However, they continued to harass her physically and mentally seeking a huge sum from her family to start a business. Unable to withstand the torture Karthiga committed suicide on August 3, 2012, by hanging herself from a ceiling fan in the house. Tiruvattiyur police registered a case against Wesly, Sandhiya, Vivek and Reena on a charge of driving Karthika to commit suicide.
On completion of the trial, Mahila court judge R. Kalaimathi sentenced Wesly to undergo 7 years of RI and imposed a fine of Rs 2,000 on him. The judge acquitted Sandhiya, Vivek and Reena of the charges.
