LUCKNOW CRIME: A social media influencer died at her in-laws’ house in Lucknow, and her family is calling it murder tied to dowry demands. Mansi, who lived in Kanpur, married Sagar Rajput earlier in 2024. Both of them had a big social media presence. Sagar had nearly 800,000 followers on Instagram. Her family says they gave Sagar’s family Rs 7 lakh in cash plus other household gifts, but it was never enough. According to them, Rajput’s family kept asking for more, especially a car. They claim Mansi faced constant taunts and insults because her dowry wasn’t big enough.
Lucknow influencer dies, dowry allegations surface
It didn’t stop there. When they refused to give more, Mansi told her family she was being physically and mentally tortured. Her parents tried to help; they went to Lucknow several times to talk things through and support her.
Then, on Saturday, Mansi’s family got the news that she had died by suicide. They don’t believe it. They say Sagar and his family murdered her over the dowry, then hanged her body, trying to make it look like suicide. The case is under investigation, but her family insists on foul play.
An FIR of the dowry death case has been filed against Rajput along with five other family members of his, citing the written complaint of the deceased’s family, an official said. The accused in the case are Sagar Rajput, father-in-law of the victim, Rajesh; her brother-in-law, Anu; her sisters-in-law, Barkha and Chandni; and her paternal aunt-in-law, Asha. Rajput is now being interrogated while in custody.
Recent dowry cases in India
The charges regarding dowry come at a time when there is already an ongoing investigation into the dowry death case of the model, Twisha Sharma, in Bhopal, which has been making headlines for the past two weeks. In another such case in Lucknow, dowry charges have emerged in connection with the death case of Shweta Singh.
With 13 years on the line, Ashish Kumar Singh loves everything when it comes to movies, music, travel and pop culture. Formerly employed at ANI, Pinkvilla, India Today and HT, Ashish has interviewed some of the top celebrities of India, including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranveer Singh, Ranbir Kapoor and Hrithik Roshan, among others. Breaking news excites him and deadlines are what he chases. Interviewing comes naturally to him. Hit him up at ashish.kumar02singh@gmail.com.
