Woman found dead, dad says in-laws tortured her for not bearing a son
Times of India | 8 August 2025
Kolkata: The death of a 29-year-old married woman Sweta Prasad Shaw, a mother of two daughters, at Narkeldanga has been shrouded in mystery. The deceased's father and neighbours alleged that she had been tortured by her in-laws for more than three years for failing to give birth to a male child.
Her in-laws, however, claimed that she committed suicide after a tiff with her husband, a trader by profession, over his planned Meghalaya trip. Police said a probe had been launched. But they are yet to receive any formal complaint from anyone in this regard. The duo had tied the knot in 2015. Shaw was declared dead upon arrival at the emergency unit of NRSMC Hospital in Kolkata on Aug 6.
The cause of death was reported as hanging, according to the initial information received from the NRSMC Outpost. The deceased was brought in by her family members from her residence at Beleghata Road.
At the residence, Sweta's husband, Rohit Kumar Shaw, and her mother-in-law, Rita Devi, were present. They provided their accounts of the events leading up to the tragic incident when cops arrived the scene.
"Rohit Kumar Shaw claimed that he returned home from his shop around 11 am on Wednesday for having lunch. He claimed that a heated argument ensued between the couple over the cancellation of a planned trip to Meghalaya due to financial constraints. We need to verify this claim. Following the altercation, Sweta reportedly locked herself in a room on the ground floor. When she failed to respond to his calls, Rohit broke open the door and discovered her hanging from the ceiling fan with a dupatta around her neck. The family immediately untied her and rushed her to the hospital, where she was declared dead," said joint CP (crime and traffic) Rupesh Kumar.
The deceased's father, Omprakash Prasad, said, "A neighbour called and said your daughter was being assaulted. I rushed over immediately. Her father-in-law confined me in an office, saying they had indeed hit her. Then I called my daughter. She said father, they are beating me badly. I was trying to console her. She had previously mentioned that they abused her because she had two daughters. However, she said on the phone on Wednesday that a divorced woman called her husband, and when she protested, they beat her with a belt.
"However, the deceased's mother-in-law, Reena Devi, denied all allegations, claiming that Shweta herself had put a noose around her neck. Kumar stated that no suicide note was found.
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