Constable and his parents booked for wife’s death

By Sumesh Rajan | May 25, 2026

Bengaluru, Karnataka, INDIA: A 26-year-old woman, identified as Lakshmi Priya, wife of a Bengaluru police constable, allegedly died by suicide at the police quarters in KR Puram, with her family accusing her husband and in-laws of prolonged mental and physical harassment linked to dowry demands.

According to police, Lakshmi Priya was married to Rajesh Aradhya, a constable attached to the HAL Police Station in Marathahalli, on May 11, 2023, in Mysuru. Her father alleged in the complaint that soon after the marriage, Rajesh Aradhya, his father Palaksharadhya, and mother Bhagyamma subjected her to continuous harassment.

The couple had an eight-month-old daughter. Following childbirth, Priya had stayed at her parental home for nearly six months.

The incident came to light on May 22, 2026, when Priya allegedly sent her mobile phone password to her younger sister Jayashree through WhatsApp around 2.30 pm, raising concern among family members. When relatives tried contacting her, she did not respond to repeated calls.

Later, Rajesh Aradhya informed the family that Priya had allegedly died by hanging herself at their residence in the KR Pura police quarters.

Police said Rajesh returned home in the evening and alerted authorities after discovering her. Based on the complaint filed by Priya’s family, a case has been registered against the husband and his parents under Sections 80(2) (dowry death) and 85 (cruelty by husband or relatives) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with relevant provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.

Further investigation is underway.

Similar Case in Ballari

In a separate incident reported from Ballari district, a 24-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide following alleged dowry harassment and mental torture by her husband and in-laws.

The deceased, identified as Aishwarya, allegedly hanged herself at her parents’ residence in Kampli town on May 17. Police arrested her husband, Pradeep Kumar, a veterinarian in the Animal Husbandry Department.

According to police, Aishwarya had left her matrimonial home on May 14 due to alleged harassment. In a purported death note, she accused her husband and in-laws of mental cruelty and dowry-related abuse. The couple had reportedly been married for over a year and a half following a love marriage.