5 of family booked for killing woman over dowry

PILIBHIT: Five members of a family were charged for the alleged murder of a 24-year-old woman from whom they demanded an additional dowry of Rs 2 lakh. Rubina Khan got married to Ashraf Khan of Mursaina Bakhsh village four years ago with adequate dowry, said her brother, Taslim Khan, in his complaint.

Taslim said he found his sister’s dead body lying on a cot at her house after receiving an anonymous call on Wednesday. He found marks on his sister’s body which indicated she had been strangled and there were also scars on her feet from being tied up. He added that Rubina’s in-laws told others she died from an electric shock.

According to Taslim, Rubina’s in-laws had been constantly demanding the money and had subjected her to physical and mental torture. He added that she’d been banished from home by her husband a few months ago but after some influential people intervened, she went back on May 2.

SHO Mukesh Kumar Shukla said the five accused were booked under IPC sections 304 B (dowry death) and 498 A (cruelty to woman by husband or his relatives) and relevant sections of the Dowry Prohibition Act. The accused absconded after the incident, police said. Rubina’s body has been sent for an autopsy.