Woman ends life after triple talaq over phone, cop suspended for inaction

Gorakhpur: A woman allegedly facing continuous harassment for dowry by her in-laws died by suicide in Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, after receiving a phone call from her husband, who reportedly gave her 'triple talaq', police said on Thursday.

Police have suspended a sub-inspector and initiated a departmental inquiry for not registering a case based on a dowry harassment complaint, they added.

Saniya allegedly took her life on Monday evening after a call from her husband, who resides in Maharashtra. She had returned to her maternal home in Gorakhpur on April 26.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Grover suspended Sub-Inspector Jay Prakash Singh for failing to act on a prior complaint filed by the victim's family.

According to police officials, Saniya's mother, Asiya, had approached the Chauri Chaura police station to report dowry harassment by her in-laws.

SI Singh allegedly disregarded the complaint and declined to register a case. An internal investigation, led by Additional SP North Jitendra Kumar Srivastava, later verified that Saniya had indeed visited the station, but no action was taken.

In response to this negligence, the SSP initiated a departmental inquiry and suspended the officer.

An FIR has been filed against eight individuals, including Saniya's husband Salauddin, who resides in Maharashtra's Rasayani area. The FIR alleges that Salauddin pronounced triple talaq during a phone call on Monday evening and verbally abused Saniya. Deeply affected by the incident, she ended her life later that night.

The complainant stated that her daughter, Saniya, married Salauddin on August 7, 2023, and a dowry was provided as per the family's demands. However, Saniya allegedly faced ongoing harassment from her husband, his mother Saira, sisters-in-law Aasiya, Khushboo, and Rozi, as well as brothers-in-law Zia-ul-Auddin and Balauddin.

Despite multiple attempts to resolve the issue, the harassment persisted, according to the complainant. Salauddin had arranged separate housing for Saniya at one point but later abandoned her. She returned to her maternal home in Gorakhpur on April 26, the complaint added.

Asiya added that Saniya continued to message through her younger sister's phone. Unable to cope with the mental trauma, Saniya took the extreme step, she said.

Police have confirmed that a detailed investigation into the matter is currently underway.

(inputs from PTI)