SIRAUNA, PURBI CHAMPARAN, INDIA – OCTOBER, 2018 In the small village of Sirauna in the Purbi Champaran district, a tragedy occurred that shook the local community. Local police found the body of a woman who had been brutally beaten to death. The victim was 36-year-old Rita Devi, who lived in the neighboring district of Sheohar and got married seven months ago to a man from her village.
According to the investigation, both the family and the police point to the murder being motivated by disputes over dowry—a traditional gift the bride brings into the husband’s family. Her brother, Dilip Kumar Baitha, filed a criminal complaint with the local police, accusing the husband, father-in-law, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law of abusing and murdering his sister.
According to Dilip, his sister was frequently subjected to violence, especially over financial issues and her husband’s demands for money and material goods such as a car. In addition, Sanjit Baitha, her husband, worked as an assistant to a private doctor, but often behaved aggressively.
The tragedy reached its peak when Rita pleaded for help and tried to contact her family. After she went missing, her body was found abandoned by the roadside near a Hanuman temple in the Patahi police station area.
Her dead body
