A 27-year-old woman constable, posted in Patna, was discovered dead under suspicious circumstances at her in-laws' residence in Supauli village under Sahodra police station area in West Champaran district on Wednesday night. The deceased has been identified as Sankeshi Kumari. Her family members alleged that she was strangled to death by her in-laws.
Police Investigation Underway
Sahodra Station House Officer (SHO) Rituraj Jaiswal stated on Thursday that no First Information Report (FIR) had been registered by the victim's family. However, police are investigating the case from both angles — murder and suicide. “The exact cause of death will be clear only after the postmortem report,” he said.
Family Alleges Dowry Harassment
The deceased’s elder brother, Dinesh Kumar, said that Sankeshi Kumari had married Sujit Kumar, a railway employee, with family consent on March 7, 2025. On April 21 this year, she had come to her parental home to attend her younger sister’s wedding. The next morning, her husband took her back to her in-laws’ house, after which the family was informed later that night that she had died by suicide.
According to the family, when they reached the in-laws’ house in Supauli village, they found her body lying on the floor with marks around her neck. They alleged that the in-laws tried to pass off the murder as suicide. The victim’s mother, Lagwanti Devi, alleged that her daughter was being harassed for dowry after marriage. She claimed there was a persistent demand for a car, and her daughter was subjected to physical abuse, ultimately leading to her death. She further stated that her daughter was four months pregnant.
The incident has raised serious concerns about the safety of women, even those in uniform. The police are awaiting the postmortem report to determine the exact cause of death and are questioning family members and neighbors to gather evidence.
This case highlights the ongoing issue of dowry-related violence in the region. Authorities have assured a thorough investigation, and further action will be taken based on the findings.
