Lucknow: A 32-year-old woman, Madhu Singh, who married Merchant Navy officer Anurag Singh five months ago, was discovered dead in her home earlier this week. While Anurag claims his wife took her own life, Madhu’s family insists he had been torturing her over dowry demands and ultimately killed her. A post-mortem confirmed she died by hanging, and police have arrested Anurag, who is now being questioned as investigators probe the circumstances of her death.
Madhu and Anurag wed on February 25 after meeting on a matrimonial website. According to Madhu’s father, Fateh Bahadur Singh, Anurag insisted on a ₹15 lakh dowry despite the family’s ability to raise only ₹5 lakh. WhatsApp messages shared by the family show Anurag refusing to lower his demand, even insisting on a trimmed guest list of “only 150 baaratis.” After the wedding, he repeatedly called and pressured Madhu’s parents for the balance. When Holi arrived less than a month later, he allegedly assaulted her—prompting her to return home. Her father then paid the dowry in full, but the abuse, he says, only intensified.
Madhu’s sister, Priya, recalls how Anurag isolated her: “He forbade her from seeing friends or talking to us. She could use her phone only when he was away, and he monitored her messages, calls, and even online orders.” Madhu had lost touch with old friends and confided to Priya that small mistakes—like positioning a plate incorrectly—would spark violent outbursts. In a voice message shared with police, Madhu described a recent beating after she failed to place Anurag’s drink bottle exactly where he wanted it.
The family also alleges that Anurag maintained an extramarital affair and forced Madhu to terminate a pregnancy. Booking records show he spent a night with a former girlfriend on July 31—just days before Madhu’s body was found. According to her father’s complaint, Madhu told her sister on August 3 about another assault. On August 4 at 4:32 pm, Anurag called to report Madhu had hanged herself; the family wasn’t alerted until nearly five hours later.
Police discovered that Anurag had texted the household maid not to come that day—though she arrived regardless and found the door unanswered. His phone records show he ordered food online that morning and later called emergency services. Charged under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to cruelty and the Dowry Prohibition Act, Anurag insists Madhu’s death was suicide. During interrogation, he reportedly asked for cigarettes but could offer no explanation for what drove his wife to kill herself. Authorities continue to investigate whether this was indeed a case of dowry-related murder.