‘Better to die once’: Three sisters, two pregnant, die by suicide over domestic abuse in Rajasthan

A shocking case has been reported from Rajasthan’s Dudu village where the bodies of three women, along with their two children, were recovered from a well on Saturday. The three women, of whom two were pregnant, were sisters married in the same family.

The police suspect it to be a case of suicide.

The three women, who used to live in Meeno ka Mohalla, have been identified as Kali Devi (27), Mamta Meena (23), and Kamlesh Meena (20). Mamta and Kamlesh were pregnant. They had gone missing on Wednesday after which a case was registered by the police.

The police said the women, along with their kids, had left their home on the pretext of going to a market but did not return after which their family members lodged a complaint.

“The bodies have been pulled out. Last rites were performed after post-mortem. A case has been registered by their family members against in-laws for dowry harassment,” Dudu station house officer Chetaram was quoted as saying by news reports.

The three women got married in the same family in 2005. The police said the women were allegedly harassed by their husbands and the in-laws for dowry. The family members, the police said, claimed the women were also beaten up by their in-laws.

“Around a fortnight back, one of my sisters was beaten up severely by her in-laws. We believe that our sisters were murdered. The police also took too much time to find the bodies,” Hemraj Meena, a cousin of the three women, said, according to reports.

The women’s family members said Kamlesh – the youngest sister – had also posted a status on WhatsApp where they hinted at committing at suicide.

“We are leaving now, stay happy, the reason for our death is our in-laws, it’s better to die once and for all than die every day. So, we have decided to die together. We hope, the three of us will be together in the next life. We don’t want to die but our in-laws harass us. Don’t blame our parents for our death,” she wrote reportedly.

The police are currently investigating the matter. Meanwhile, activists have demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

“Seven lives have been lost as two women were pregnant and died with their unborn child. It is an extremely heinous crime and the sufferings of the women are beyond comprehension. The women took the extreme step due to cruelty and repeated harassment of husbands and in-laws,” said People’s Union for Civil Liberties activist Kavita Srivastava.