Rajasthan BJP leader’s wife found dead, family alleges murder over dowry harassment

A BJP leader from Bharatpur in Rajasthan has been booked after his wife died under suspicious circumstances, with her family alleging dowry harassment, murder and an attempt to cremate her body before they could intervene, as per reports.

The victim, Priyanka Chaudhary, was reportedly married to Akash, a former district general secretary of the BJP Yuva Morcha. Her family alleges that Akash and his relatives strangled her and tried to conduct a rushed cremation before informing them.

Priyanka’s father, Om Prakash, reportedly told police that he learned about his daughter’s death only after a neighbour informed him. He said he rushed to the house and found that preparations for the cremation were already under way, with the body and funeral arrangements ready. He added that the family immediately alerted the police, after which officers reached the spot.

Police officials confirmed that Priyanka’s in-laws were preparing to cremate the body before the post-mortem could be carried out. According to them, the family was allegedly taking the body to Pidawali village for cremation when officers intervened. The police recovered the body and sent it for autopsy, while forensic teams examined the house.

Om Prakash has alleged that Priyanka faced dowry demands and harassment since her wedding in November 2018. He said he had spent around ₹20 lakh on the marriage, yet the in-laws allegedly continued to pressure her for more, including a demand for a Mahindra Thar SUV.

A case has been registered and the investigation is on . The post-mortem report is awaited.