Gorakhpur (UP), Apr 12 (PTI) A woman, allegedly fed up with dowry demands from her husband and in-laws, set herself on fire in Rajghat area here, police said Friday.
The woman's family, however, alleged her in-laws burnt her to death.
The woman in her 20s, Poonam Gupta, a resident of Laldiggi locality, was seen running in the street on Tuesday with her clothes set on fire. She was recorded in CCTV cameras in the area and the video later surfaced on social media.
Locals rushed her to a Lucknow hospital where she died Wednesday night, police said.
According to Gorakhpur Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sunil Gupta, the woman in her dying declaration said she burnt herself after being harassed.
He said the action is being taken on the basis of the woman's statement.
An FIR was filed against nine people including the woman's husband and her in-laws and five of the accused have been arrested so far, the SSP said.
As per the FIR filed at Rajghat police station, Poonam's husband, Alok Gupta, and her in-laws harassed her for failing to fulfil their demand of Rs 5 lakh in dowry.
"My daughter was married to Alok Gupta in 2014 and they were not satisfied with the dowry. Later, they started demanding Rs 5 lakh," Poonam Gupta's mother Rajkumari Devi said.
"She called me a few days ago and said that her in-laws were beating her for money. They burnt her for dowry," she alleged.
