Lucknow | August 6, 2025 : A 32-year-old woman, Madhu Singh, was found dead in her Lucknow home just five months after her wedding. Her husband, Anurag Singh, a Merchant Navy officer, claimed she died by suicide. But Madhu's family alleges a much darker truth — that she was tortured for dowry, assaulted repeatedly, and ultimately murdered.

A Marriage Built on Demands
Madhu married Anurag on February 25 this year after meeting him through a matrimonial site. According to her family, Anurag demanded ₹15 lakh as dowry. WhatsApp chats shared by them reveal that even though Madhu’s family could only manage ₹5 lakh, Anurag refused to budge.

Soon after the wedding, the abuse began. After Holi, Anurag reportedly assaulted Madhu for the first time. She returned to her parents, but only after her father paid the full dowry did Anurag take her back. Sadly, the torture didn’t end there.

Isolation, Abuse, and Fear
Madhu’s sister Priya described how Anurag controlled every part of Madhu’s life. “He didn’t let her talk to friends or us. We only spoke when he was away,” she said. He would beat her for minor reasons — like placing a plate in the ‘wrong’ spot or not handing him a bottle of alcohol properly.

Madhu could use her phone only when Anurag wasn’t home. “He checked her calls, chats, even her online shopping,” Priya said. In one recorded audio clip, Madhu can be heard saying, “Mujhe bohut mara (he beat me badly)... just because I didn’t keep the bottle in front of him.”

The Final Days
Madhu's father believes Anurag was having an affair. He claims Anurag forced Madhu to abort their baby and had spent the night of July 31 in a hotel with his ex-girlfriend. Madhu had found messages between them and shared screenshots with her family.

On August 3, she told her sister that Anurag had assaulted her again. The next day, at 4:32 pm, Anurag called her father to say she had died by suicide. But the family wasn’t informed for nearly five hours after he claimed to have found her body. Police later found that Anurag ordered food at 10:30 am and texted the maid not to come. The maid, unaware, still arrived and rang the bell, but no one answered.

Arrest and Investigation
Anurag has been arrested and is currently under police custody. He continues to claim Madhu died by suicide but has failed to explain what led her to such a step. Authorities have charged him under sections related to cruelty and dowry under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Dowry Prohibition Act.

In custody, Anurag reportedly showed no remorse, instead repeatedly asking for cigarettes. Investigations are ongoing, but Madhu’s family is determined to seek justice.