‘Called Me Cursed’: Dehradun Teacher’s Suicide Sparks Dowry Probe
A Heartbreaking Final Message
Indiadailyupdate.com – “Called me cursed” — these words echo through a devastating video message left behind by a Dehradun school teacher who took her own life on Wednesday. Srishti Kandhari, a twenty-seven-year-old government educator, ended her life after enduring what she described as relentless dowry harassment from her husband and in-laws. In a poignant ninety-second recording, she tearfully accused her family of constant mistreatment and emotional abuse. Srishti had married Saurabh Raturi in November of the previous year and moved to her husband’s home, situated roughly twenty kilometers from Dehradun city center.
The video captures the raw emotion of a woman pushed to her limits. At the thirty-five-second mark, Srishti breaks down completely, saying,
“Sorry mummy, main aise ja rahi hoon”
— apologizing to her mother for leaving in such a painful way. She explains that six months of suffering had become unbearable.
“Everything has become so strange. I have been enduring this for six months… Now I can’t endure it anymore. Their mindset can never change. They keep blaming me for things that happened after our marriage. (Calling me) ‘manhoos, manhoos’ (cursed),”
she says in the recording, her voice trembling with exhaustion.
Legal Action and Family Details
Srishti’s husband, Saurabh Khatri, works as a personal secretary at the Uttarakhand Secretariat. Following her death, her mother filed a formal police complaint naming Saurabh, mother-in-law Parvina, and sister-in-law Charu as the main accused. The complaint details persistent dowry demands combined with physical and psychological abuse that Srishti endured throughout her marriage.
According to the legal document, the young teacher faced regular humiliation and was increasingly isolated within her marital home. Circle Officer Doiwala Vandana Verma confirmed that the First Information Report was registered under appropriate dowry death provisions. A post-mortem examination has been completed to determine the exact cause of death.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
Officer Verma explained that authorities received reports of a woman who had hanged herself. A police contingent along with a Forensic Science Laboratory team promptly examined the location.
“We received information that a woman had died by suicide by hanging herself, and a police team, as well as an FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) team, inspected the scene. A post-mortem examination has been conducted. The woman’s mother has alleged harassment by her in-laws,”
Verma stated.
The officer noted that Shristi had married eight months prior and was employed as a government teacher while her husband held a government position. Family members allegedly branded her as “inauspicious” and “unlucky,” holding her responsible for various misfortunes that occurred after her arrival. Notably, she was blamed for the passing of her father-in-law, who had battled a prolonged illness.
The situation came to light when Shristi’s mother failed to reach her daughter on July 28 and 29. She asked local relatives to check on her, and they discovered Shristi in critical condition, promptly admitting her to a nearby hospital. Tragically, she succumbed to her condition before Seema Bhandari could travel from Srinagar in Garwhal to Dehradun.
Police have confirmed that investigations remain ongoing, with authorities carefully reviewing medical documentation, collecting witness testimonies, and gathering all relevant evidence. The case has drawn attention as another example of dowry-related harassment leading to tragedy, with the video message serving as powerful testimony to what Srishti endured.
