Husband allegedly murders wife for dowry, child witnesses horrifying scene

Deoghar: In a deeply distressing incident in the Bandha-Bairagitola locality of the Rikhiya police station area in Deoghar district, the lifeless body of a woman was discovered on Tuesday morning. The family alleges that the woman, identified as Preeti Kumari, fell victim to domestic violence, allegedly murdered by her husband over dowry issues. The harrowing incident unfolded with the woman’s six-year-old son pleading to spare his mother.

According to Rajkishore Mandal, the maternal uncle of the deceased, Preeti had been living in her maternal uncle’s house, Kothiya-Janaki, since her father abandoned her after her mother’s death. Preeti, in 2016, was married to Vikas Kumar, an Armyman residing in Khargdihani. Their marital life was marred by continuous disputes, prompting several panchayat interventions and multiple complaints filed at the women’s police station. Unfortunately, each time, the matter was pacified post-panchayat sessions.

The tragic incident unfolded when Preeti’s six-year-old son, Ritwik Raj, called his maternal grandfather to report that his mother lay unconscious on the ground, unresponsive to his attempts to wake her. The family rushed to her house in Bandha-Bairagitola, only to find Preeti lifeless on the floor. The son recounted a horrifying account of the events leading to his mother’s demise.
According to the child, around midnight on Monday, Vikas Kumar, the father, returned home with two masked individuals. As Preeti opened the door upon recognizing her husband, he allegedly assaulted her, throwing her to the floor. One of the masked persons reportedly pressed his feet on Preeti’s neck while she struggled. The traumatized son pleaded for mercy, only to be warned by his father to go home and sleep, or else he too would face harm. Frightened, the son retreated to another room, eventually falling asleep.

The next morning, upon waking up, the child found his mother lifeless and immediately called her maternal uncle. Vikas Kumar and his masked associates had absconded by then. Family members and locals informed the police, leading to an investigation into the tragic incident.
Rajkishore Mandal, the maternal uncle, shared that Preeti’s husband and his family had persistently demanded a four-wheeler as dowry, subjecting her to constant harassment. Panchayats and legal interventions failed to alleviate the situation, and Preeti, tragically, became a victim of dowry-related violence, culminating in her untimely death.