Representative image of suicide.
Credit: iStock Photo
Bengaluru: A 34-year-old woman allegedly killed her four-year-old daughter before dying by suicide in northern Bengaluru, reportedly over a domestic dispute, officials said on Monday.
The deceased, Shruthi GK, was the president of the gram panchayat (GP) in Pavagada, Tumakuru. She lived in a duplex in MS Ramaiah Layout, Nagasandra, with her husband Gopal Krishna, an auditor, and their two children.
The incident came to light around 6 pm on Sunday when the police found Shruthi and her daughter hanging in a room on the first floor of their house.
The police said her eight-year-old son was asleep in a room on the ground floor, while her husband was away in Pavagada for work at the time.
Based on a complaint filed by Shruthi’s brother, Shashidhar, 41, the Bagalagunte police have registered a case under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 85 (cruelty by husband or relatives), 108 (abetment of suicide), 351 (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult to provoke breach of peace), and relevant sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
“The complainant alleged that Shruthi faced harassment due to her husband’s extramarital relationship and dowry-related issues. The FIR was registered accordingly, and further investigation is underway,” a senior police officer said.
Police investigations revealed that the couple had been married for a decade and frequently travelled between Bengaluru and Tumakuru.
While no physical death note has been recovered, a preliminary probe found that Shruthi had texted her brother and husband on WhatsApp before taking the extreme step. Her messages contained allegations of dowry harassment and her husband’s suspected affair, an officer said.