Bengaluru (PTI): A 26-year-old woman allegedly died by suicide nearly a month after her wedding here, with her husband and his family facing murder and dowry harassment charges, police said on Thursday.

The deceased has been identified as Aishwarya C K, who married Likhith Simha on November 27.

Simha (28), a real estate agent, has been arrested along with his mother and brother in connection with the death.

They have been booked on charges including murder and dowry-related harassment, they said.

The incident occurred on December 24 within the limits of Bagalagunte police station. No suicide note has been recovered so far, they added.

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During preliminary inquiry, the husband’s family told the police that they were not at home at the time of the incident.

On returning, they allegedly found Aishwarya hanging from a ceiling fan using her saree and rushed her to a hospital, where she was declared dead.

In his complaint, the woman’s father alleged that despite fulfilling dowry demands and spending heavily on the marriage, his daughter was subjected to "continuous physical" and "mental harassment" by her husband, mother-in-law and brother-in-law.

He further alleged that Aishwarya was repeatedly humiliated, intimidated and abused, and that the harassment continued even after attempts to counsel the couple and resolve the conflict.

The complainant also stated that he spoke to his daughter on December 24, during which she sounded extremely distressed, and held her husband and his family responsible for her death.

Based on a complaint lodged by the woman’s father, a case has been registered against the three accused under Sections 103 (murder), 80 (dowry death), and 85 (husband or relative of husband subjecting a woman to cruelty) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, along with relevant provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act, the officer said.

Further investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause of death, police added.

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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister K H Muniyappa on Monday said that he will call a meeting on April 10 aimed at resolving the Auto LPG supply issue in the state.

He also said that private oil companies had hiked LPG prices for vehicles, leading to long queues at public sector stations.

Bengaluru and several other places in the state are witnessing disruption in auto services, hit by a shortage of Auto LPG. Long queues of autos are seen outside fuel stations at many places.

On Monday, the minister met with representatives of auto drivers' associations and heard their concerns.

"We are aware that auto drivers are in distress. Around 3,000 Auto LPG cylinders are being supplied by the central government daily, but private suppliers have increased the price, which is causing inconvenience to auto drivers. I will immediately call a meeting to resolve the issue," Muniyappa, who holds Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs portfolios, said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said, "The government supplies approximately 3,000 Auto LPG cylinders daily. The private companies also supply equal numbers of cylinders. I have learned that private companies have increased the prices. I will speak to the concerned officials."

"On April 10, I will call a meeting and try to solve the issue. Auto drivers' lives depend on these LPG supplies, so I will try to resolve the issue on a priority basis," he said, adding that private companies representatives, union government officials, Indian Oil Corporation coordinators, police and senior state government officials will also be called for the meeting.

According to official sources, PSU-operated outlets, including those of IOC, are retailing Auto LPG at around Rs 89.52 per litre in Bengaluru, whereas private marketers are selling between Rs 99 and Rs 105 per litre. This difference has led to a significant shift in customer preference toward PSU-operated Auto LPG Dispensing Stations (ALDS), resulting in increased footfall and longer wait times at these stations.

Stating that the situation is serious as the war is on in West Asia, the minister sought cooperation from everyone.

"The energy or fuel crisis is there across the world. If the Centre had planned to get the energy supplies from Russia a month in advance, this situation would not have arisen. Things have happened now. Let's try and resolve the issues," he added.