Bengaluru Amazon employee commits suicide after alleged dowry harassment

A 24-year-old executive with the e-commerce firm Amazon was found dead at her flat in the Platinum City apartments in Yeshwanthapura in North Bengaluru on Thursday. She is suspected to have committed suicide on Sunday. Her body was found by her father who visited the flat on Thursday because his daughter was not answering phone calls since Sunday. A letter reportedly written by the young woman before her death has been found in the flat, police said. The young executive identified as Deepika B, hailing from Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, has alleged dowry harassment by her husband and in-laws in her letter. The Yeshwanthapura police said Deepika was working as an executive with Amazon.com in Bangalore. She had married Vinod Kumar a BPO employee in October 2014 and was living with his family in east Bangalore until a few months ago. 

Following complaints of harassment by her in-laws Deepika’s father Balakrishna had organized a flat in the Platinum City apartments for Deepika to stay with her husband. According to the police Deepika moved to the flat four months ago but was not accompanied by her husband who continued to live with his parents. Last Sunday Deepika’s parents had visited her and counselled her about saving her marriage by compromising and living with her husband. She is suspected to have committed suicide after her parents returned to Coimbatore. The highly decomposed body of the victim was found by her father Balakrishna when he visited the flat again on Thursday to inquire about his daughter’s whereabouts. He informed the Yeshwanthapura police who found a suicide note with the body of the victim. The young woman has in her letter alleged that she cannot bear the harassment by her husband Vinod Kumar and his family. Based on the suicide note and a complaint by Deepika’s father the Yeshwanthapura police have registered a case of dowry harassment related death against Vinod, his parents and his sister. “We have registered a case against Vinod and his family members under section 304 B and 498 A of IPC,” an investigating officer said.