Hyderabad: A local court in Malkajgiri sentenced a man and his mother to seven years in jail for the dowry death of their daughter-in-law, on Tuesday. The victim had killed herself by committing suicide.
The accused Sabbi Sashikiran Reddy (35) and his mother Usha were allegedly found guilty of causing the dowry death of S. Leelavathi (31) in June 2016.
Judge G. Bhavani Chandra sentenced the mother-son duo to seven years in prison with rigorous imprisonment. The judge also fined them Rs. 6,000 for torturing the victim.
After the death of Leelavavthi, her parents had lodged a complaint of murder and dowry against them at Malkajgiri police station.
They were tried for dowry death under section 304B of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), coercion and torture under section 438A of IPC.
Following a trial, the witnesses were examined and the court found Sabbi and his mother guilty.
Police said that the victim’s family had gifted Rs. 10 lakh, 100 grams of gold and 3 acres of mango farm and other valuable items to Sabbi at the time of marriage. But it failed to meet the dowry demands of the groom’s family, due to which the victim was subjected to mental and physical torture.
“Leelavathi was unable to bear the harassment of her husband and in-laws. She self-harmed both her hands with a blade. Then she committed suicide by hanging herself to a ceiling fan at her in-laws’ house in Malkajgiri on 13 March 2016,” police said.
