7-yr RI to Telangana Man for Dowry Torture Leading to Death

Hyderabad: The LB Nagar court on Wednesday sentenced a 33-year-old man to rigorous imprisonment (RI) for seven years and a fine of Rs 3,000 for dowry harassment leading to the suicide of his 20-year-old wife. A video of the victim filming the act, which was recovered from her phone, and witness testimony of the house owner acted as the clinchers.

The accused, Mohd Asad Ali, 33, a private sector employee, married Neha Fatima, 20, in December 2017. During the marriage, five tolas of gold and a bike were given to the accused as dowry.

However, six months after the marriage, the accused started harassing and beating the victim in order to get more dowry. The house owner, who had witnessed that the deceased was a victim of domestic violence, gave his testimony in court.

In June 2018, Neha died by suicide while filming the entire act and confessing in the video that she was constantly being harassed by her husband and her in-laws for dowry. The video was recovered by the police and acted as evidence and the victim’s testimony.

After her death, a case was registered under Section 304 (B) of the IPC against the accused and his parents - Mohd Hyder Ali, 95 (died) and Salma, 57, who has been acquitted.