Nagpur, India- The Lakadganj police have arrested four members of a family and charged three others in a tragic dowry death case.

The victim, Shabnam Praveen (23), was married to Mohammad Sohail Shaikh Hamid (31) on May 13, 2022. Shabnam was the daughter of Jafar Ali Manjoor Ali Shah (51) and lived in Bhoi Line, New Kamptee. Her husband, Mohammad Sohail, lived in Adamshah Chowk near Amma Dargah, Lakadganj.

About six weeks after the wedding, Mohammad Sohail started demanding Rs two lakh from Shabnam’s parents to buy vehicles, complaining that she had not brought any gifts into the marriage. This demand marked the beginning of her harassment. Shabnam's husband and his family members began to harass her both mentally and physically.

The harassment intensified, and on April 26, 2023, they tortured her again, pressuring her to get money from her parents. Unable to bear the constant abuse and torture, Shabnam took her own life by hanging herself at home around 7 PM on May 21, 2024.

Following her death, Shabnam’s father, Jafar Ali Manjoor Ali Shah, complained to the Lakadganj police. The police registered a case against several members of Shabnam's in-laws under sections 304(b), 489(a), and 34 of the Indian Penal Code, along with section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act. Those charged include her husband Mohammad Sohail; his brothers Shoaib Shaikh (20) and Mohammad Shadab Shaikh (25); his mother Naseem Bano (52); his sisters Bisma Shaikh Rizwan Shaikh (30) and Ujma alias Nikki Firoz Shaikh (27); and Rizwan Shaikh (36), all residents of Gittikhadan.

The police arrested Mohammad Sohail, Shoaib Shaikh, Mohammad Shadab, and Rizwan Shaikh. Additionally, they took Naseem Bano, Bisma, and Ujma into custody for their alleged involvement in the harassment and subsequent death of Shabnam Praveen.