- Husband, sister-in-law arrested in Dehradun dowry death case.
- Victim Srishti Kandari's video alleging harassment surfaced.
- SIT formed to probe dowry demands and alleged torture.
In a major development in the alleged dowry death case of teacher Srishti Kandari, Uttarakhand Police on Saturday arrested her husband, Saurabh Khatri, and sister-in-law, Surabhi Khatri alias Charu. After conducting their medical examination at the Community Health Centre in Doiwala, police took both accused into custody.
Considering the seriousness of the case, Dehradun Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the leadership of the Circle Officer (CO), Doiwala, to probe the matter.
The victim reportedly committed suicide by hanging herself after recording a video alleging harassment by her husband and sister-in-law.
“Everything has become so strange. I have been enduring this for six months... Now I can't endure it anymore. Their mindset can never change. They keep blaming me for things that happened after our marriage,” Srishti could be heard saying in the video.
A case has been registered against a personal secretary at the Uttarakhand Secretariat and his family members for allegedly causing the dowry death of his 27-year-old wife, Shristi Bhandari, a government school teacher, in Dehradun's Doiwala area.
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Husband, Sister-In-Law Arrested
Refusing to consider the incident a suicide, Srishti’s mother, Seema Kandari, filed a formal complaint alleging persistent harassment by the husband and his relatives.
The complainant alleged that since her marriage in November 2025, Srishti had been subjected to continuous mental and physical harassment by her husband, mother-in-law and sister-in-law over dowry demands. She further alleged that the harassment ultimately led to her daughter's murder.
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During the investigation, police recorded statements of the deceased's family members and other witnesses. The deceased's mother also handed over a video to the police in which Srishti allegedly spoke about the constant harassment she faced at the hands of her in-laws after marriage.
Based on the evidence collected so far, police arrested the named accused, Saurabh Khatri (36), and his sister, Surabhi Khatri alias Charu (37), from Laxman Enclave, Delhi Farm, Harrawala. Police said the investigation is continuing and the role of the other accused is also being thoroughly examined.
Mother Files Dowry Death Complaint
Earlier, based on Seema Kandari's complaint, police had registered a dowry death case against Saurabh Khatri, who works as a private secretary at the Uttarakhand Secretariat, along with Srishti's mother-in-law Parveena Devi and sister-in-law Charu under various sections of law, including those related to dowry death.
According to the complaint, Srishti, a teacher at Government Inter College, Rigoli (Malli) in Tehri Garhwal's Kirtinagar development block, regularly informed her parents that she was being harassed by her in-laws over dowry.
Seema alleged that her daughter was repeatedly insulted, called "unlucky" and blamed for every misfortune in the family, including her father-in-law's illness and subsequent death. She claimed Srishti was subjected to both mental and physical torture after marriage.
The family has alleged that Srishti was murdered on July 29 and accused her husband, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and other relatives of being involved in the crime.
"This is a very unfortunate incident for all of us in the family. Ever since her father-in-law passed away, the entire family, including her husband, his mother, and his sister, was torturing her, blaming her for his death. They kept labelling her 'wretched' and saying all these bad things were happening ever since she entered the house," Victim’s cousin Ritanshu Kandari told ANI.
Police Probe And Earlier Developments
Following the incident, Srishti's body was taken to a hospital without informing the police, according to the family. Police had earlier said they would question Saurabh Khatri after the completion of the last rites of his father, who died on July 26. The investigation was subsequently handed over to the Circle Officer.
According to police, Srishti was taken to a private hospital in Jogiwala on the morning of July 29, where she died. The accused allegedly did not inform the police about the incident.
A death memo was sent by the hospital to Jogiwala police station. Since the incident fell under the jurisdiction of Harrawala, Jogiwala police informed Harrawala police, following which officers reached the hospital and sent the body for post-mortem examination.
What Police Said
Doiwala Police Station Inspector-in-Charge Rakesh Gusain said the case is under investigation and further action will be taken based on the post-mortem report, forensic evidence and other material collected during the probe.
Officials also said the role of the remaining accused, including the mother-in-law and other family members named in the complaint, is being investigated.