Unnao woman's suspicious death sparks dowry murder allegations and protests

A 24-year-old woman’s death under suspicious circumstances has sparked outrage in Unnao’s Soharamau area. The woman, Poonam, was found hanging inside her home in Hindukheda village on Wednesday. Police have sent the body for post-mortem and launched an investigation. Meanwhile, Poonam’s family has alleged that she was murdered over dowry demands and have demanded strict action against her in-laws.

According to Poonam’s father, Ram Prasad, a resident of Padri Kala village in Achalganj, his daughter was married to Parvesh from Hindukheda in 2021. On Wednesday afternoon, Parvesh reportedly called Ram Prasad, informing him that Poonam had died by suicide. When the family reached her home, they found her body inside the house and immediately informed the police.

Ram Prasad has accused Poonam’s in-laws of killing her and staging it as a suicide. He claimed that Parvesh had demanded ₹2 lakh from them eight days before the incident and killed Poonam when the money wasn’t provided. Poonam’s mother, Ramadei, has also leveled serious allegations against the in-laws, stating that they pressured her daughter for dowry.

The family has filed a complaint against Parvesh, his mother Rajdulari, elder brother Guddu, sister-in-law Shailu, and married sisters Jyoti and Lakshmi. Poonam leaves behind four young children—Shivam, Ananya, Anaya, and Ayush—who now face life without their mother.

Tensions escalated on Thursday evening when Poonam’s family protested at the post-mortem house, breaking glass panes in anger. Police intervened to calm the situation. Station Officer Arvind Pandey stated that the investigation is underway and action will be taken based on the post-mortem report and other evidence. The case has brought renewed focus on dowry-related violence, a persistent issue despite legal safeguards.