Woman dies by suicide after triple talaq over phone, cop suspended for inaction

Gorakhpur: A woman allegedly facing continuous harassment for dowry by her in-laws died by suicide in Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur after getting a phone call from her husband who gave her 'triple talaq', police said on Thursday.

Police suspended a sub-inspector and ordered a departmental inquiry for failing to lodge a case on a complaint regarding dowry harassment, they said.

Saniya allegedly ended her life after a call from her husband -- who lives in Maharashtra -- on Monday evening. She returned to her maternal home in Gorakhpur on April 26.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Grover suspended Sub-Inspector Jay Prakash Singh for failing to act on an earlier complaint lodged by the victim’s family.

According to police officials, Saniya’s mother, Asiya, had approached the Chauri Chaura police station alleging dowry harassment by her in-laws.

SI Singh allegedly dismissed the complaint and refused to register a case. An internal inquiry led by Additional SP North Jitendra Kumar Srivastava later confirmed that Saniya had indeed visited the station, but no case was filed.

Taking serious note of the lapse, the SSP ordered a departmental inquiry and placed the officer under suspension.

An FIR has been lodged against eight persons, including Saniya's husband Salauddin, who is a resident of Maharashtra’s Rasayani area.

The FIR states that Salauddin pronounced triple talaq over a phone call on Monday evening and allegedly abused Saniya during the call. Distressed by the incident, she took her own life later that night, it said.

The complainant said her daughter married Salauddin on August 7, 2023, and a dowry was given as per the family's demands. However, Saniya was allegedly subjected to repeated harassment by her husband, his mother Saira, sisters-in-law Aasiya, Khushboo, and Rozi, and brothers-in-law Zia-ul-Auddin and Balauddin.

Despite several attempts to resolve the matter, the harassment continued, she said.

Salauddin had at one point arranged a separate accommodation for Saniya but later abandoned her. She returned to her maternal home in Gorakhpur on April 26, the complaint said.

Asiya added that Saniya continued to messages through her younger sister’s phone. Unable to cope with the mental trauma, Saniya took the extreme step, she said.

Police said a detailed probe is underway in the matter.