Woman killed over dowry in Jamui, husband held

Patna: A 27-year-old woman was allegedly murdered by her husband and in-laws over a dowry demand at Barajor village under Jhajha police station area in Jamui district on Thursday morning.

The victim, Kajal Kumari, wife of Alok Kumar, was found hanging from the ceiling of her home. Police have arrested her husband for further investigation, while her in-laws are absconding after the incident.According to the police, Kajal’s husband and in-laws had been pressuring her family for money to purchase an SUV. Her brother, Vinod Kumar, said that Kajal married Alok in 2020 and had been facing continuous harassment for dowry since then.

“Recently, they again demanded money for the SUV. When we said we couldn’t afford it, Kajal was strangled and her body was hung from a six-foot-high ceiling to make it look like suicide,” he alleged.“A disturbing detail in the case cam to light that this was Alok’s second marriage. His first wife reportedly died under suspicious circumstances in 2019, which was also termed as a suicide,” said Sanjay Kumar Singh, SHO of Jhajha police station.

Confirming the arrest of Alok, the SHO said Kajal’s body was sent to sadar hospital for postmortem. A forensic team has collected samples from the spot and is conducting a detailed investigation, he added.Singh further said that Alok works in a private company in Jamui. “His family members—who are also under investigation—have fled the village. Police teams are searching for them,” he added.