Cops seek to probe 'dowry death' case in US

Amidst speculation about the whereabouts of the husband of the woman who allegedly committed suicide in the Bahamas complaining of torture for dowry, the Gurgaon police have sought permission to go the United States for investigation into her comp.

Gurgaon Police Commissioner S S Jaiswal said a letter has been sent to Haryana Director General of Police R S Dalal seeking obtaining of permission for carrying out the investigation about the circumstances of the death of Neha and reports that her husband Ankit, son of Gurgaon civil surgeon S S Dalal, has gone missing.

Neha allegedly jumped out of a cruiseliner where her husband was employed on December 31.

Police sources here said it was quite possible that Ankit had been taken into custody by the local police.

His parents had not been in touch with him since January 3, they added.

The city police have lodged an first information report against Ankit, a civil surgeon, his wife Nirmala and daughter Anika under Indian Penal Code sections 498-A (dowry harassment), 323 (beating) and 406 (criminal breach of trust) on a complaint by Suresh Chhikara, Neha's father.

Meanwhile, Ankit's father charged that Neha's family was trying to defame him and his family members and the "allegations against us are totally baseless".

The inquiry was still on and "we still don't know if it was an accident or something else", he said.

Neha's father, on the other hand, denied he was trying to defame anyone and said her daughter had sent an email to her brother Anuj an hour before her death charging that she was being beaten up.