JALANDHAR: A 37-year-old doctor was discovered dead at her residence on Wednesday, leading to her husband, an eye surgeon, being formally charged with abetment of suicide. The deceased, Dr. Minakshi, was employed at the Civil Hospital in Kapurthala, while her husband, Dr. Piyush Sood, operates a private hospital on Kapurthala Road in Jalandhar. The couple had been living separately since the previous year.
Allegations of Harassment and Financial Misconduct
In a complaint lodged with the police, Dr. Minakshi's father, Parmod Kumar, a resident of Jalalabad in Fazilka district, alleged that his daughter had endured persistent harassment due to her husband's extramarital affairs, physical abuse, and financial misconduct. According to the First Information Report (FIR), shortly after their marriage in 2018, Dr. Minakshi took a loan of Rs 35 lakh to assist her husband in establishing the National Eye Care Hospital. She subsequently repaid the loan instalments from her salary.
Discovery of Extramarital Affairs
The complainant stated that in 2023, Dr. Minakshi discovered her husband's involvement in extramarital affairs. While investigating the matter, she allegedly came across a video of him with another woman. This video clip was later handed over to the police as part of the complaint. Kumar mentioned that the family initially attempted to resolve the issue by counselling Dr. Sood and urging him to change his ways. However, the situation reportedly worsened, and Dr. Sood began physically assaulting his daughter.
Attempted Strangulation and Separate Living
In 2025, Dr. Sood allegedly tried to kill Dr. Minakshi by strangulating her. She reported the incident to the police helpline. Following this, she started living separately in rented accommodation. The complainant further alleged that when Dr. Minakshi later approached a bank to purchase a house in Jalandhar, she discovered through her CIBIL report that a loan of Rs 2.5 crore had been taken in her name without her knowledge or consent. When she confronted her husband and his father, Yogeshwar Sood, and requested them to remove her name from the loan, she was allegedly threatened by her husband.
Mental Stress Leading to Suicide
The complainant claimed that the ongoing harassment and financial burden placed Dr. Minakshi under severe mental stress, ultimately driving her to take the extreme step. Based on the complaint, police registered a case against Dr. Piyush Sood at Division No. 6 police station under Section 108 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to abetment of suicide.
Additional Information
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About the Author: IP Singh is Senior Assistant Editor at The Times of India. He covers news in Jalandhar and neighbouring districts, and writes on politics, contemporary trends, Punjabi diaspora, and heritage preservation. He specializes in deciphering religio-political peculiarities and complexities of Punjab. His hobbies include reading up on a variety of subjects.
