A 31-year-old pregnant woman has died by suicide at her home in Ahmedabad’s Vatva district, with her husband and in-laws accused by her family of years of dowry harassment and domestic abuse, police said. Police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against her husband, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law under section 8 (e.g. dowry harassment, abetment of suicide, and other offences in relation to the victim’s family).
The deceased, Rinki Devi, married Narendra Singh Rajput in 2013 according to local custom. Her family claimed that at the wedding they gave ₹3 lakh in cash and about 3.5 tolas of gold. But within two months of the wedding, Rinki's husband Narendra, her mother-in-law Phulaben, and brother-in-law Pravin, also known as Pintu, started demanding additional dowry.
The complaint states that the family repeatedly pressured Rinki to bring a gold chain and a Royal Enfield Bullet motorcycle from her parents’ home. When her demands were not met, she was allegedly subjected to continuous physical and mental harassment.
According to the complainant, Rinki was also prevented from visiting her parents or speaking freely with them over the phone. When she could reach her mother, she said she was assaulted and harassed by her husband and in-laws.
As the FIR further states, this was not the first time the family had approached authorities. In 2018, Rinki returned to her parents’ house after allegedly being assaulted by her husband. A report was filed then, and the dispute was resolved by the family elders, after which she returned to her matrimonial home.
Over the years, the couple had two children—a five-year-old boy and a two-and-a-half-year-old girl. Just days before her death, Rinki informed her mother by phone that she was three months pregnant, the complaint said. Despite her pregnancy, she told her family that she was being forced to do heavy household chores while still being physically attacked at home.
She was told by her mother to be patient and that the family would speak with her in-laws once they returned from their native village.
On June 28, Rinki’s family was told that she had allegedly died by suicide by hanging at her matrimonial home in Nirmal Sarovar Bungalows in Ahmedabad’s Vatva neighborhood.
The complainant has also claimed that investigators had found a handwritten note from Rinki’s clothes in the initial investigation. The FIR alleged that the note blamed her husband, mother-in-law, and brother-in-law for forcing her to suffer from mental and physical harassment that drove her to take the extreme step.
Based on the complaint, police have registered a case against Narendra Singh Rajput, Phulaben, and Pravin alias Pintu. We have been investigating the matter from different angles, including dowry harassment and domestic violence,” said the investigating officer.
Police have also said the authenticity and contents of the alleged suicide note will be verified by forensic examination during the ongoing investigation. Statements of family members, neighbours, and other witnesses will be recorded, and investigators will also investigate any previous complaints and other evidence.
The allegations in the FIR represent the complainant's account. The accused have been booked, but the investigation is ongoing, and no court has decided criminal liability at this stage. If the allegations are proven during the investigation, the case could proceed under relevant provisions related to dowry harassment, cruelty by husband or relatives, and abetment of suicide.
