Woman kills children, hangs self in Delhi

New Delhi, May 25 (IANS) In an shocking incident, a 27-year-old woman in south Delhi Friday killed her two infants - a boy and a girl - before committing suicide after killing her two children, police said.

Vineeta Katara, her daughter Harshita, 3, and son Arpit, 1 and a half were found dead in their residence at Deluxe Apartments at Chhattarpur in Mehrauli.

"Vineeta's and her daughter's body was found hanging from ceiling fan while her son's body was lying on the floor," a police official said.

No suicide note has been found but the investigation has been launched to ascertain the reason of this extreme step, he added.

According to the officials, Katara had earlier come to Mehrauli Police Station to lodge a complaint against her in-laws for harassing her for dowry. Later, she called her brother in Kota (Rajasthan) to inform him of her complaint.

Around 3 p.m., police got a call from Katara's brother, who had been unable to contact his sister. A police team rushed to their home and discovered the bodies.

"The bodies have been sent for post-mortem but it seems that she first strangulated her son, then hung her daughter and herself from the ceiling fan," a police official said.

Katara had lodged a complaint against her husband Deepak, her brother-in-law and other family members. The couple had married six years ago and were living in a rented accommodating.

Police said that Deepak, a nursing student at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, had been questioned and investigation was under way.

It is shocking to see and read about these dowry deaths.

The last episode of Aamir Khan's "Satyamev Jayate" dealt with this problem.

In spite of the government claiming to speak against it, ministers and government officials continue to spend ostentatiously during marriages and ask and give dowry.

This sets a standard for society and everybody is made to spend beyond their means, even taking loans.

If the government truly wants to eradicate this scourge, it should ban all government officials and politicians from taking or giving dowry and to control their expenses in marriage.

If anyone is found to disobey this instruction, he/she should dismissed after proper enquiry.

Next, dowry deaths should be considered as serious as death after rape with equal punishment.

The cases should be fast-tracked and the culprits should not be given bail until the outcome of the case.