'Dowry harassment drove Aarey woman to kill self'

MUMBAI: Four family members of an Aarey-based housewife, arrested for abetting her suicide, were harassing her with demands for a Mhada flat and a car, the police said.
Maya alias Mansi Waghmare (22) hanged herself from the ceiling fan of her residence on Tuesday. The police arrested her husband, Manish, father-in-law Harishchandra, mother-in-law Mangala and sister-in-law Monali the next day.The arrests were made on the basis of a complaint by Maya's father, Sarjerao Malke.
Maya and Manish got married three years ago and stayed in a joint family at Adarsh Nagar in Aarey Colony. Manish was employed with a private firm. Between November 2008 and May 2011, Maya was tortured physically and mentally for dowry. "At the time of marriage, Maya's in-laws took a dowry of Rs 50,000 from her parents. Thereafter, they kept asking her to fetch more money from her parents from time to time. They wanted money to buy a car and Rs 5 lakh for a Mhada flat," a police official said.
Maya had complained to her father, who is based in Ahmednagar, about the harassment she was facing at home. Fed up with the torture, she committed suicide after locking herself up in the bedroom, even as the other family members were at home. When they found her body, the Waghmares rushed Mansi to Bhagwati Hospital where she was declared dead. The same night, Manish informed Malke about the incident.
Malke came to Mumbai on Wednesday and lodged a complaint against Manish, his parents and sister. The four were arrested on charges of dowry harassment and abetment of suicide.
They have been remanded in police custody till May 9.