Mother of pan masala baron’s daughter-in-law alleges abuse, cruelty by family: 'Dragged her from first floor'
The woman was found dead inside the dressing area of her bedroom on Tuesday afternoon.
The mother of a 38-year-old woman who was found dead at her Vasant Vihar home earlier this week has alleged that her daughter endured years of cruelty at the hands of her in-laws. The woman, who was identified as the daughter-in-law of the owner of the Kamla Pasand paan masala group.
The woman was found dead inside the dressing area of her bedroom on Tuesday afternoon. Police said she lived with her husband and two children, and domestic staff were also present.
On Friday, police registered a case under sections 108 (abetment to suicide) and 3(5) (common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, based on the complaint of the woman’s mother, HT earlier reported.
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Mother shares details on what daughter endured
In the FIR, a copy of which HT reviewed, the mother said her daughter married in December 2010. Just a few months later, in February–March 2011, her husband and mother-in-law allegedly abused her, dragged her from the first-floor residence to the ground floor, and thrashed her.
The woman was pregnant at the time, the mother said. After she told her parents about the incident, the husband apologised, and she returned to her marital home.
The mother said the next turning point came after the birth of the couple’s son later that year, when her daughter discovered that her husband was having an affair with a woman in Mumbai.
She alleged that he had “illegally married” the woman and had a daughter with her. The victim then went to Kolkata with her parents and son and stayed there for a year, until her in-laws and husband visited with a written apology and took her back to Delhi.
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Abuse continued for years leading to death
According to the FIR, the abuse resumed two to three years later. The mother said that in April 2024, her daughter came across obscene chats between her husband, a woman, and a friend, leading to another confrontation.
She returned to Kolkata again and stayed for a month, before her mother-in-law apologised and asked her to come back.
On November 25, the day of the incident, the mother said her daughter called her at 7.30 am and said that she and her husband had argued over an issue involving their son’s mobile phone.
When the mother phoned her again around 11.30 am, the calls went unanswered. About half an hour later, a family member informed her that her daughter had died.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).
