Would-be bride kills self over dowry demand

Birgunj, April 20

In a latest dowry-related death, a would-be bride in Birgunj, Parsa, committed suicide following an undue pressure from the bridegroom’s family for dowry.

Bhola Sah Teli’s daughter Rabita,18, of Birgunj metropolis-23, Prasauni Birta killed herself yesterday night. She was to marry Ram Nagari’s Jaya Narayan Sah’s son Shiva Dayal on April 27. It has been learnt that the bridegroom’s family had demanded a motorbike, gold ring and chain, apart from Rs 300,000 cash in dowry.

“We’d already provided a motorbike and Rs 220,000 of the pledged amount. But bridegroom’s side threatened to break the marriage yesterday night on phone if we didn’t pay the full dowry. She (daughter) had talked to the boy. We didn’t know what they talked about that she was later found hanging in her room,” said Rabita’s father Bhola Sah Teli.

According to SP Ganesh Regmi, the body has been handed over to the kin after post-mortem. Police said search for Jaya Narayan and his son was on.