Couples quarrel, homes fall apart

Two women, both engineers married to engineers, committed suicide in a span of one week. Both were allegedly “harassed” by their husbands and in-laws for dowry. They embraced death rather than suffer physical and mental ordeal.

While 25-year-old Pallavi Handore, an electronic engineer, jumped to death from the fifth floor of her residential apartment, 23-year-old Swagata Chatterjee chose to end her life on a noose.

Handore’s and Chatterjee’s cases reflect the trend of crime against women. Statistics available with the Social Security Cell of the Pune Police show that 234 cases of crimes against women have been registered till May alone compared to 647 cases registered last year. Cases falling under Section 498 of the Indian Penal Code, relating to harassment, comprise the largest chunk. While 246 of harassment cases were registered last year, statistics available till March this year show that 67 cases have been reported.

“While it will be difficult to say that the suicides of the two engineers signal a rise in harassment cases from affluent households, it is true that many matrimonial disputes are being reported between couples, both of whom hold well-paying jobs, especially IT professionals,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police Anil Kumbhare.

Most of the cases comprise quarreling couples who share an incompatible relationship with each other. “Ego problems, small tiff at home spiralling into a full blown fight lead to a police complaint as well as demands for money are the most common reasons for such cases to be registered,” said Kumbhare.