Mangaluru: A 20-year-old Harshiya Banu succumbed to her injuries on Saturday, March 10 at a private hospital in the city, after setting herself ablaze.
Before her death, Harshiya told police that a few months after entering wedlock, her husband (Asif) and his family began harassing her mentally and physically. After falling out with her new family, she moved in with her mother and brother in a rented house in Turkalike Gundimane, Belthangady and had been living there since December.
Harshiya and Asif were relatives who were married in March of 2015 by their kin to maintain the family alliances, according to the police. Harshiya, police say, had approached her family regarding her husband’s ill-treatment towards her just three months into the marriage but, continued to stay with him till Decemer of 2017. The couple have a one-and-a-half-year-old child together.
Police said that Harshiya is said to have been deeply upset about the separation which led her to take the drastic step of setting herself on fire.
Harshiya self immolated in the presence of her family members at their rented home on March 2 at around 8.30 pm. She had sustained severe burns and was rushed to a government hospital in Puttur where she was given primary treatment after which she was moved to a private hospital for further treatment in Kankanady.
Harshiya however, was not responding to treatment and eight days after the incident, passed away on March 10 at the private hospital.
A case has been booked at the Punjalakatte police station under the Dowry Prohibition Act and and investigation is underway. The accused in the case have been taken into custody.
