"Unlucky taunts": Roughly 8 Months After Wedding, Teacher Dies by Suicide; Secretariat PS Booked for Dowry Death

A 25-year-old government schoolteacher died by suicide in Dehradun, eight months into her marriage, after allegedly being harassed for dowry by her husband and in-laws. The death of Srishti Kandhari has once again put the spotlight on dowry harassment in India, a crime that has been illegal for over six decades but continues to claim lives across the country.

Srishti worked as a teacher at a school in Tehri district and lived with her husband, Saurabh Khatri, also a government employee working as personal secretary at Uttarakhand Secretariat, in Doiwala, about 20 kilometres from Dehradun. The couple had married in November 2025.

According to a police complaint filed by her mother, Srishti was subjected to sustained mental and physical harassment over dowry demands after her marriage. Her mother alleged that Srishti was repeatedly called "inauspicious" and "unlucky" by her in-laws. She further accused the family of murdering her daughter and claimed they did not inform her about Srishti's death, which occurred on July 29.

Before her death, Srishti reportedly recorded a 90-second video describing the harassment she said she had endured. In the video, addressing her mother, she said:

"Sorry mummy, I am leaving like this."

Crying through the recording, she said she had been enduring the situation for six months and could no longer bear it. She said:

"Everything has become so strange. I have been enduring this for six months... Now I can't endure it anymore. Their mindset can never change. They keep blaming me for things that happened after our marriage."

The video is now among the evidence being examined by police as part of the investigation.

Following her mother's complaint, the Doiwala police station registered a case against Srishti's husband Saurabh Khatri, her mother-in-law Parvina, and her sister-in-law Charu. Doiwala Circle Officer Vandana Verma said police received information about the death and registered the case based on the allegations levelled by Srishti's mother.

A police team, along with a Forensic Science Laboratory team, inspected the scene, and a post-mortem examination was conducted. Police said a case has been registered under provisions relating to dowry death, and a formal probe has been initiated. Officials said the investigation would examine the circumstances surrounding Srishti's death, the allegations made by her family, and the evidence collected, including her final video message. The post-mortem report and further findings are expected to guide the next steps in the case.

This is not an isolated incident. The death comes close on the heels of another similar case, that of Twisha Sharma, who died by suicide on May 12, 2026, within seven months of her marriage, allegedly under comparable circumstances. Taken together, the two cases have reignited concerns over the persistence of dowry-related cruelty despite decades of legislation meant to curb it.

As the investigation in Dehradun proceeds, police are expected to rely heavily on the evidence gathered so far, including the victim's own recorded statement, to determine the sequence of events leading to her death. The outcome of the post-mortem examination and the forensic findings will likely play a key role in shaping the course the case takes going forward.

Inputs from Indian Express