NEW DELHI: Akriti Sutar, a 28-year-old Delhi woman who died less than three months after her wedding, had searched for ‘how to die easily’ on Google before her death, investigators said while probing allegations of dowry harassment. According to her younger brother, Amay Sutar, Akriti believed that if she continued earning, saved enough money and gradually purchased the household items she was allegedly criticised for not bringing after marriage, the harassment would eventually stop, according to news agency PTI. Instead of placing additional financial pressure on her family, which had struggled after their father’s death in 2019, she chose to deal with the situation herself. Akriti married Arastu Sikka on April 24 after a two-year relationship. She resumed her job as a sales executive at a private company in Chhatarpur on July 1 after taking a break for her wedding, her brother said. Four days later, she was found dead after allegedly falling from the third floor of a building in Lodhi Colony. According to news agency PTI, Amay said the family’s financial difficulties had significantly influenced many of Akriti’s decisions. Their father died of cancer seven years ago after prolonged treatment left the family burdened with debt. Amay said his sister dedicated herself to supporting the family after their father’s death, with one goal in mind — ensuring that he became financially independent. “After my father passed away, she did a lot for me. Her only dream was to see me settled,” Amay said. He said this was also why she insisted on continuing her job after marriage. According to Akriti’s family, Sikka’s family had agreed before the wedding that she would continue working. However, they allegedly changed their stance after the marriage and told her that no such agreement had ever existed. Amay alleged that his sister was repeatedly taunted for not bringing enough household items from her parental home.“They would say she hadn’t brought even basic things like a bed, sofa, wardrobe, fridge or air-conditioner,” he said, adding that Arastu’s family indirectly demanded Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh. Rather than asking her family to meet those demands, Akriti believed she could resolve the issue herself.“She told me, ‘You have just become financially stable. Don’t burden yourself. I will keep working and slowly manage everything myself. Maybe then they will stop saying these things,” Amay recalled. He said this was likely why she chose not to share the full extent of the alleged abuse with her family. Initially, the family believed the couple was facing ordinary marital disagreements.“When Akriti complained about being slapped once, our families intervened and attempted a reconciliation, hoping the situation would improve,” Amay said. It was only on July 3, he added, that she disclosed the alleged physical abuse, threats and repeated harassment she had endured in the weeks following her marriage. Looking back, Amay said there were signs that the family failed to fully understand the seriousness of the situation.“She became quieter after marriage. We thought she was just exhausted and settling in the new environment. Whenever we asked, she would simply say everything is alright,” he said. He added that several of Akriti’s childhood friends had also noticed changes in her behaviour, though she rarely spoke openly about her problems. Investigators are examining a Google search for “how to die easily” found in Akriti’s phone history. Amay, however, alleged that his brother-in-law exercised complete control over his sister’s phone.“He used to check everything. Even if her password changed accidentally, he would accuse her of having an affair, abuse her and beat her,” he alleged. Amay said his concerns about Sikka’s behaviour had begun much earlier, although there had been no major incident at the time. Instead, he recalled what he described as a tendency to take offence over minor matters.“If I forgot to greet him once, he would complain to my sister about it and make it into an issue. I used to think if someone could react like that over such a small thing, what must he be like inside the house,” he said. According to the family, the alleged controlling behaviour also extended to Akriti’s interactions with her relatives. Amay alleged that Sikka objected to her speaking to her mother and brother on the phone and routinely questioned her about even minor changes to her mobile phone. He further alleged that after Akriti informed her family about the abuse, Sikka threatened to have him assaulted and get him dismissed from his job if she continued discussing her marital problems with them. On July 4, Akriti left her office but never returned home. After repeated calls to her phone went unanswered, the family began searching for her. Later that night, a police officer answered a call made to her mobile phone and informed them that she had been admitted to a hospital after allegedly falling from the third floor of an NDMC residential complex in Lodhi Colony. Police have arrested Sikka under charges related to dowry death and cruelty by a husband or his relatives. Investigators are currently examining CCTV footage, call records, phone data and other digital evidence to establish the circumstances surrounding Akriti’s death. The role of other family members is also under investigation.
