Mumbai Woman Dies Weeks Before First Anniversary, Family Alleges Dowry Harassment and Poisoning

A 24-year-old woman from Mumbai’s West Khar died just weeks before her first wedding anniversary, after allegedly being harassed and poisoned by her husband and in-laws over dowry demands.

Neha Gupta was rushed to a local hospital on the night of October 16 after she complained of uneasiness. She was later referred to another hospital and discharged within hours. However, her condition deteriorated again, and she collapsed soon after returning home. She was taken back to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have since arrested her husband, Arvind Gupta, and five members of his family on charges of murder and dowry harassment, pending forensic and post-mortem results.

According to the complaint filed by Neha’s father, Radheshyam Gupta, the abuse began soon after her marriage to Arvind, who hails from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, and works as a bank official in Mumbai.

The couple had married on November 16, 2024, and were preparing to celebrate their first anniversary next month. But in the months leading up to her death, Neha reportedly told her parents she was being poisoned and harassed for dowry.

Her father said he had given the groom’s family gold worth ₹28 lakh, ₹9 lakh in cash, and several household items at the time of marriage. Although these were presented as “gifts,” he said they were effectively dowries, as the groom’s family expected them.

Despite this, the family allegedly demanded more, including cash and a Royal Enfield motorcycle. When Neha refused, the harassment intensified.

Neha reportedly told her parents that her food was being laced with substances that made her faint repeatedly, episodes that led to several hospital visits. She also confided that she was being forced to undergo an abortion and was feeling “strange” and “mentally unstable.”

Police have filed preliminary charges under sections related to dowry death, administering poison, and murder against the six accused. The investigation is ongoing, and forensic reports are awaited.