Argus News - 22-Year-Old Woman Dies By Su*cide After In-Laws Force Her Into Prostitution

Bidar, Feb 9: A 22-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide in Karnataka’s Bidar district after being subjected to harassment and abuse by her husband’s family, police said Monday.

The woman, identified as Anjanabai Shekhar Patil, was found hanging at her residence in Om Colony in Basavakalyan town. She was married in 2022 to Shekhar Patil, a resident of Basavakalyan, and the couple had an 11-month-old child.

According to our source from the ground, Anjanabai was found hanging inside the house, following which police were alerted.

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Based on a complaint lodged by her father, Vijaykumar, police registered a case last week alleging that she was subjected to daily mental and physical harassment by her in-laws. The complaint further alleged that she was pressured into prostitution and assaulted for refusing illicit relationships.

“My daughter was assaulted and mentally tortured for refusing to agree to their demands,” Vijaykumar alleged in his statement to police.

Local police booked three persons in connection with the case, including her husband Shekhar Patil. The other two accused are reportedly family members.

“All three accused have been taken into custody and further investigation is underway,” a police official said.

Police said the exact circumstances leading to the woman’s death are being probed.

This bizarre incident further corroborates NCRB 2023 data, which says marriage & relationship concerns are the third-highest contributor to the total number of suicide cases in India.

In 2022, as many as 25,309 housewives died by suicide, while the number declined slightly in 2023, staying at 24,048 cases.