UP dowry harassment: Kanpur woman accuses husband, in-laws of locking her in room with venomous snake

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A Kanpur woman has been hospitalised after accusing her husband and in-laws of locking her in a room with a venomous snake in a brutal alleged dowry extortion attempt.

The shocking incident, which occurred on September 18, has prompted police to register a case against seven individuals, including the woman’s husband. According to a TOI report, the woman was confined to a room where the snake was placed. She sustained a bite and her pleas for help were ignored by the family.

She managed to contact her elder sister, who rushed to the scene and transported her to Government Ursala Hospital for urgent treatment. Doctors at the facility confirmed the woman was exhibiting severe symptoms consistent with a venomous snakebite. She is currently undergoing a course of anti-venom.

“Her condition is stable but serious,” medical staff reportedly stated.

The victim’s sister, a resident of Chaman Ganj, provided TOI with a harrowing account of ongoing abuse. She stated the woman was married in March 2021.

Almost immediately, the husband and his family began pressuring her for an additional dowry of Rs 5 lakh. The abuse allegedly escalated to several attempted strangulations.

The family’s demands were specific. They asked for Rs 1.5 lakh to fund the construction of a room in their house, a sum which the woman’s parents reportedly paid.

When the in-laws demanded more money, the woman’s parents refused. This refusal, it is alleged, triggered the horrific attack.

On the night of September 18, the husband and parents-in-law forced her to sleep alone, taking her young daughter away from her. The next morning, she was reportedly locked inside the same room. It was then she discovered the snake, which subsequently bit her.

Police inspector Vineet Kumar from Colonel Ganj station confirmed that an investigation is underway based on the woman's complaint. A case has been registered against seven people.