A 32-year-old woman named Madhu Singh was found dead in her home in Lucknow, just five months after marrying a Merchant Navy officer. Her husband, Anurag Singh, has claimed she died by suicide, but her family believes he tortured and killed her over dowry demands.

Madhu married Anurag on February 25 this year after meeting him through a matrimonial website. Anurag worked as a second officer in a Hong Kong-based ship management company.

According to Madhu’s family, Anurag had demanded ₹15 lakh as dowry before the wedding. WhatsApp chats shared by the family show Anurag clearly asking for the full amount, even when the family said they could manage only ₹5 lakh. “I will have only 150 baaratis, but I won’t reduce the dowry,” one of his messages reads.

Madhu’s father, Fateh Bahadur Singh, said in his police complaint that Anurag kept demanding dowry even after the wedding. He alleged that Anurag assaulted Madhu less than a month after their marriage, following which she returned to her parents' house. The family eventually gave in and paid the full dowry, after which Anurag took Madhu back, but her father claims the abuse continued.

Madhu’s father also alleged that Anurag was having an affair with his ex-girlfriend. “My daughter had become pregnant, but he forced her to abort,” he said in the complaint. The family also shared hotel booking details showing that Anurag spent the night of July 31 at a hotel with his ex-girlfriend, just four days before Madhu’s death.

On August 3, Madhu reportedly told her cousin Priya that Anurag had hit her again. The next day, at 4:32 pm, Anurag called Madhu’s father and told him she had died by suicide. “I believe he has killed my daughter,” the grieving father said.

Anurag told the police that he had found Madhu hanging and called the 112 helpline around noon. But her family was not informed until nearly 4:30 pm, almost five hours later.

Police also discovered that Anurag had messaged the housemaid asking her not to come that day. She didn’t see the message and turned up anyway, but no one opened the door even after she rang the bell multiple times. Investigators also found that Anurag had ordered food online around 10:30 am that morning.

Anurag has been arrested and is being questioned by the police. During interrogation, he repeated that Madhu died by suicide but could not explain what may have led her to it. He has been booked under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita related to cruelty and under the Dowry Prohibition Act.

Police also noted that after being taken into custody, Anurag repeatedly asked for cigarettes.