A 24-year-old woman in Chennai’s Ponneri, Lokeshwari, allegedly died by suicide due to ongoing dowry harassment, just three days after her wedding. According to police, she ended her life on June 30 while visiting her parental home. She reportedly locked herself in the bathroom after a heated argument with her husband over unfulfilled dowry demands.
Lokeshwari had recently married 37-year-old Panneer, who, along with his mother Poongothai, has been arrested. Police sources said her family had agreed to give five sovereigns of gold, but managed only four. The groom’s family allegedly pressured her to arrange the remaining gold and also demanded a new air conditioner.
The young woman could not withstand the repeated harassment, and after a verbal altercation with Panneer, took the extreme step. The husband’s family has denied the accusations, but Lokeshwari’s death has triggered fresh outrage over the continuing menace of dowry-related abuse.
Tragically, this is not an isolated case. Just days earlier, in Tiruppur district, 27-year-old Ridhanya died by suicide two and a half months after her marriage. In an audio message sent to her father before she consumed pesticide, she accused her husband, Kavinkumar, of physical assault and blamed his parents for relentless mental abuse.
These back-to-back tragedies highlight the persistent and deadly impact of dowry harassment in Tamil Nadu, even decades after legal bans were put in place.