Police said the woman hanged herself and her daughters on Monday after sending messages to her sister-in-law and brother about the alleged harassment
A 28-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide in Madhya Pradesh’s Bhopal after hanging her three daughters aged between one and five purportedly due to harassment her husband subjected her to for failing to give birth to a male child. Two of the daughters died while the third was rushed to a hospital where her condition was said to be stable.
The woman hanged herself and her daughters on Monday after sending messages to her sister-in-law and brother about the alleged harassment, said Arun Sharma, a local police officer. Police have registered a complaint and were investigating the matter. They said a case would be registered based on the post-mortem report.
Sharma said the matter came to light on Tuesday afternoon. “The woman gave birth to three girls in five years but her husband wanted a male child. On Monday night, the couple argued over it. She sent five messages between 12.24am and 12.55am on Tuesday that her husband was harassing her and she was killing her daughters and herself.”
The woman’s brother said he saw the messages in the morning and tried calling her. “But, she did not respond. I called her husband and he said everything was fine. I did not believe him. I called my aunt, who lives in a neighbouring village. When my relatives reached her house, they saw the bodies of the three. They had not informed the police then. I informed the police.”
The woman’s husband claimed she died by suicide as she was upset with some medical issues. “She wanted a male child but was unable to get pregnant and that is why she ended her life.” Police were verifying a handwritten note recovered from the spot.