'They Wanted A Car, Kept Troubling Her': Mother Alleges Dowry Harassment After Gwalior Woman's Death

Last Updated:May 20, 2026, 09:00 IST

Newlywed Palak Rajak dies in Gwalior under suspicious circumstances, family alleges dowry harassment and murder, in-laws claim suicide, police probe with forensic focus

A newlywed woman died under suspicious circumstances in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior, barely a year after her marriage, with her family alleging dowry harassment and murder, while the in-laws have claimed she died by suicide.

The case has triggered outrage after the victim’s mother alleged that her daughter was repeatedly beaten, starved and harassed over dowry demands, including pressure for a Brezza car.

The incident has also drawn comparisons with the recent Twisha Sharma and Deepika death cases, where families similarly alleged harassment, suspicious injuries and attempts to suppress evidence.

The deceased in the Gwalior case was identified as Palak Rajak, who was married to Amit Rajak on April 14, 2025.

According to the family, Amit worked as an outsourced employee with the Air Force.

Palak’s mother, Seema, broke down while speaking about the alleged harassment her daughter faced after marriage.

“When she came home, she used to tell us that her in-laws troubled her and that her brother-in-law harassed her," Seema said.

She alleged that the family initially avoided police action in the hope that relations would improve.

“We thought taking police action would only worsen relations. We used to explain things to them. They would behave properly for a few days and then start troubling her again. They never really changed," she said.

Seema further alleged that despite giving substantial dowry during the marriage, the demands continued.

“We had already given them a car, Rs 2.5 lakh in cash, and 10 tolas of gold. They were demanding a Brezza car. They should not have done this. They should have sent our daughter back to our home instead. Why did they kill our daughter?" she said.

PHONE CALL BEFORE DEATH RAISES SUSPICIONS

According to the family, Palak made a distress call to her father around 20 minutes before her death.

Her father alleged that Palak sounded terrified and pleaded to be taken away from her in-laws’ house.

“Papa, take me away from here. They keep demanding a car and a gold chain. They are harassing me continuously. These people will kill me," she allegedly told him over the phone.

The family said Palak had told them she had not eaten properly for three days and that no one in the house spoke to her.

Her mother also claimed that her daughter had repeatedly complained about fights inside the house in the days leading up to the incident.

“My daughter had not eaten food for three days. They had been fighting with her continuously for three days," Seema alleged.

The family said Palak was crying during the call and appeared frightened.

Her father assured her that her brother would come to bring her home.

However, around 20 minutes later, Amit allegedly informed the family that Palak had hanged herself.

FAMILY ALLEGES MURDER, POINTS TO INJURY MARKS

When Palak’s relatives reached the house, she was already dead.

The family alleged that there were injury marks on her neck, legs and several other parts of her body, leading them to suspect murder rather than suicide.

Angry relatives later staged a road blockade protest demanding a fair investigation, videography of the post-mortem examination and a forensic probe into the death.

The family also alleged that Palak was isolated inside the house after marriage and was regularly subjected to mental and physical harassment.

Palak, who reportedly created social media reels and had around 10,000 followers online, had allegedly continued sharing content publicly even as tensions escalated inside her marital home.

IN-LAWS CLAIM SUICIDE

The in-laws, however, have denied the allegations and maintained that Palak died by suicide.

According to her father-in-law, Babulal, Palak had locked herself inside a room. He reportedly told police that when he returned from the market, his younger son informed him that she was not opening the door.

The family allegedly broke open the door and found her hanging from a ceiling fan before rushing her to the hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

POLICE SAY CASE BEING TREATED SERIOUSLY

Police officials said the case was being treated with seriousness because the death occurred within a year of marriage.

Senior police officer Robin Jain said the victim’s family had levelled serious allegations and that investigators would rely on the post-mortem report, medico-legal findings, forensic evidence and witness statements.

The Gwalior incident comes amid rising public attention on similar cases involving suspicious deaths of married women.

In the Twisha Sharma case in Bhopal, the woman’s family alleged a conspiracy and demanded a second post-mortem after injury marks were reportedly found on her body. Police later formed an SIT and launched a search for the main accused, Samarth Singh.

Similarly, in the Deepika death case from Jalpura village in Uttar Pradesh, the victim’s family alleged she was assaulted before her death, citing multiple injury marks mentioned in the post-mortem findings. Her relatives had also accused the in-laws of dowry harassment and demanded strict action.

News india 'They Wanted A Car, Kept Troubling Her': Mother Alleges Dowry Harassment After Gwalior Woman's Death

Read More