GURGAON: The deaths of a 28-year-old woman and her three young daughters in a village well in Nuh district have drawn attention to allegations of prolonged domestic abuse, including dowry harassment and taunts for not giving birth to a son.
Police have registered a murder case against seven members of the woman’s husband’s family after her father alleged that the harassment had intensified in the days leading up to the deaths.
The woman, Sahila, who married Sahid, a resident of Badopur village, in 2018, was found dead on Monday along with her daughters — Aksha (5), Saniya (2.5), and four-month-old Sanaya — in a well located in agricultural fields.
Sahila’s father Hanif, a resident of Alwar in Rajasthan, told police that substantial dowry had been given at the time of the marriage, including a motorcycle, ₹1.1 lakh in cash, and household items, but the in-laws were “never satisfied.”
In his complaint, Hanif alleged that harassment began early in the marriage, with repeated demands for a Hyundai Creta. He accused Sahid, Sahila’s brothers-in-law Zubair and Saddam, father-in-law Isab, and other relatives Maqsoodan, Maimuna, and Sanji of subjecting her to sustained mental and physical abuse.
According to the complaint, the harassment intensified after Sahila gave birth to daughters instead of a son.
Hanif said he repeatedly tried to reason with the family and sometimes brought Sahila back to her parental home to protect her from the abuse.
“We went to their house several times and pleaded with them not to torment her. But their behaviour did not change,” he said in his statement.
He further alleged that about six months ago Sahila was locked in a room and beaten, and her jewellery — including bangles, necklaces, and chains — was taken away. When Hanif sent his son Rashid to check on her, Rashid was also allegedly assaulted and confined before he managed to call police for help.
The incident led to a complaint at Ferozepur Jhirka police station, where a community meeting was held. According to the family, Sahila’s husband and in-laws admitted wrongdoing and the matter was temporarily settled.
However, Hanif said the situation worsened again after Sahila gave birth to her third daughter about four months ago.
Two days before the deaths, Sahila called her father and said that her in-laws had beaten her badly and were threatening to kill her, according to the FIR.
Around 8:30 pm on Sunday, Hanif received a call from a person in Badopur asking whether Sahila had reached her parental home. Unable to reach her marital family despite repeated calls, he set out for the village the next morning.
On the way, the village head informed him that Sahila and her three daughters had been found dead in a well.
Police recovered the bodies and sent them to a government hospital mortuary in Mandikhera for postmortem examination.
Authorities confirmed that a murder case has been registered, and police teams have been formed to arrest the accused.
“The harassment, as alleged, was linked to the birth of girls,” a police official said.
