Lawyer and Father Arrested in Dwarka Over Dowry Death of 29-Year-Old Woman

A lawyer and his father were arrested on dowry harassment charges following the death of his 29-year-old wife, who was declared brought dead at Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka on Wednesday.

The arrested individuals were identified as the victim’s husband, Harshal Varma, who is in his early 30s, and his 55-year-old father, Dinesh Kumar Varma, who operates a jewellery shop in R. K. Puram. Police officials stated that Harshal Varma was not at home at the time of the incident at their south-west Delhi residence.

The deceased woman, Simran Varma, died allegedly by suicide. However, her father, Deepak Varma, speaking outside Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU) Hospital, contested the claim, alleging that her death resulted from severe physical abuse and harassment over dowry demands rather than suicide. Simran and Harshal had married earlier this year on February 10.

According to her family members, Simran had been subjected to constant dowry demands since the marriage, which they were unable to fulfill. The family had previously taken her back to their residence in Faridabad after she complained of violence and torture. Her in-laws reportedly apologized to the family four days before the incident and took her back to south-west Delhi.

Following the incident, Simran was taken to Indira Gandhi Hospital in Dwarka and subsequently shifted to DDU Hospital for a post-mortem examination. A senior police officer noted that prima facie, no visible injury marks were found on her body, adding that the post-mortem report remains awaited.

Because the marriage had lasted less than seven years, SDM Dwarka was informed of the death. Based on statements given by the victim’s family before the Executive Magistrate, police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Sections 80 and 3(5) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation into the matter is ongoing.