Body of lawyer’s wife found hanging in city, dowry death suspected

Patna: A 27-year-old woman was found hanging from the ceiling of her home in the Shastri Nagar police station area of Patna late Friday night. The victim, Pinky Singh, was married to lawyer Rahul Singh of AG Colony. Police have detained the woman’s husband after her father lodged a case alleging harassment and torture by in-laws over dowry demands. Her body was sent to IGIMS, Patna, for post-mortem to determine the exact cause of death and ascertain whether the hanging was suicidal or homicidal in nature.City superintendent of police (Central) Diksha told this newspaper on Saturday that, prima facie, it appeared to be a case of suicide. “When the police arrived, her body was found hanging from the ceiling fan in her room. However, no suicide note was found at the spot. The woman’s husband has been taken into custody for interrogation after the victim’s father lodged a dowry death case. The exact cause of death will be known from the post-mortem report. The police are investigating the case from all angles,” she said. According to the complaint filed by the deceased woman’s father, Pappu Singh, a resident of Machhargaon under Kotwa police station in East Champaran, Pinky was married to Rahul, son of Jivesh Singh from Dumaria, on December 8, 2022. He alleged that he incurred heavy expenses for the wedding, selling one bigha of ancestral land and providing a dowry of Rs12 lakh in cash, along with a car purchased on loan.He further alleged that even after the marriage, Pinky faced repeated harassment and physical abuse. In early 2025, she was also allegedly beaten and tortured. “The forensic team was also called to the spot to gather evidence and assist investigators,” said Ravindra, station house officer (SHO) of Shastri Nagar.