- By Yashashvi Tak
- Wed, 23 Jul 2025 10:20 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
A 32-year-old woman from Tamil Nadu’s Ramanathapuram district has died after allegedly setting herself on fire to protest years of sexual harassment by her father-in-law and ongoing dowry-related abuse by her in-laws.
The woman, identified as Ranjitha, sustained severe burns covering 70 percent of her body. She was rushed to the Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai but succumbed to her injuries despite efforts to save her.
In a disturbing dying declaration captured on video, Ranjitha, her face severely charred and voice barely audible, is heard saying, “My father-in-law hugged me. I couldn't take it. That's why I immolated myself."
Her son, a Class 7 student, reiterates her allegations in a separate video, stating that she had confided in him about the sexual harassment. The family further claims that the abuse extended beyond her father-in-law’s misconduct and included continued dowry-related harassment by her husband and in-laws.
"It has been 13 years of torture. They kept demanding a plot of land and more gold. Her father-in-law sexually harassed her. She had been hinting at this. Her husband would drink, beat her, and ask her to silently endure everything. They wouldn't let her visit us and threatened they wouldn't take her back if she did," Ranjitha's sister, Alagasundari said, according to the NDTV report.
The local police have registered a case of suicide and are probing the allegations. A senior officer told NDTV, “She alleges sexual harassment by her father-in-law. We are investigating that angle."
When asked about the family's claims of dowry harassment, the officer said, “They were married 13 years ago. So it may not technically come under the Dowry Prohibition Act, but we are examining all aspects."
The case has sparked public outrage and renewed concerns about the safety of women in their marital homes. Activists have called for a thorough and sensitive investigation into Ranjitha’s death.
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