‘Burnt alive over dowry’: Victim’s last words convict in-laws; UP court gives them life term

AGRA: A local court in Aligarh has sentenced five members of a family to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of their 25-year-old daughter-in-law over dowry demands.The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on each.Neelam Bharti, married to Pradip Bharti in 2018, was allegedly subjected to continuous harassment for additional dowry despite her family spending Rs 20 lakh on the wedding, said her brother, Tejveer Singh.On the night of Oct 31, 2020, Neelam called her brother in distress, warning that her in-laws were planning to kill her. Before he could reach her, she was doused with kerosene and set on fire at her in-law's house in Fire Brigade Colony in Banna Devi police station area, Aligarh. She was rushed to a local hospital and later referred to a Delhi medical facility, where she succumbed to her injuries.Before her death, Neelam recorded a dying declaration naming her husband, who worked at a private company, his parents, elder brother, and sister-in-law as the perpetrators. A case under sections 304B (dowry death) and 498A (cruelty to a married woman by her husband or his relatives) of the IPC was registered against Pradip (35), his father Ramji Lal (70), mother Rambert Devi (65), elder brother Manoj Bharti (55), and sister-in-law Shashi Devi (48). All five accused were arrested and sent to jail, and a chargesheet was later filed.Four of them were granted bail while Manoj Bharti, who worked at a govt hospital, remained in custody, according to additional district govt counsel Harsh Bardhan. "During the trial, the court added section 302 (murder) of the IPC. The victim's statement was recorded twice—once at the govt hospital in Aligarh and again during treatment in Delhi," Bardhan said.