NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 15: Sanjay Bhalla, 30, a senior executive at German MNC MBT, has been arrested after his wife Komal Bhalla, a 28-year-old executive at Escorts Finance Ltd, was found hanging at their West Patel Nagar residence on Sunday evening. The police have registered a case of dowry death against him.Sanjay reportedly told his wife's parents that she committed suicide. Komal's parents, however, believe that their daughter was murdered after they failed to fulfill excessive dowry demands.Komal's in-laws - M L Bhalla, a senior research officer (signals intelligence) in the Ministry of Defence, and his wife - are currently absconding.The couple had moved out of the senior Bhalla residence at Pandara Road six months ago, following what her parents described as, harassment; especially by the father-in-law.Komal reportedly confided in her sister Anuradha that she "was scared that she might be killed" by her in-laws.Komal's relationship with her in-laws had gone from bad to worse after she began attending evening MBA classes. "She was in her final year and was required to attend these classes, much to the dislike of her mother-in-law," said a relative.At around 11 on Sunday night, Komal's mother Sudesh Kapoor got a call from her son-in-law saying that Komal had committed suicide."As soon as I got the call I rushed there with my husband Raj Paul Kapoor. I saw my daughter's body lying on the floor. There was also a knife beside it which Sanjay said he had used to cut the rope to bring the body down," said an inconsolable Sudesh."No doctor had been called, nor was the police informed. He was just sitting beside the body saying that he had not done anything. We do not know what happened. Whether it was Sanjay who did it or anybody else, we have no idea. Komal was facing indirect pressure from her in-laws over dowry."The couple got married on July 23, 1995, following what her relatives described as a "love marriage that had been arranged".According to Komal's parents, the boy's father became vehement about his demands for dowry. "Komal had to come to our house on several occasions due to these demands," her mother said. "She would often come back complaining that she had been beaten up by her father-in-law. On one occasion, he even pulled her by the hair and dragged her out of the house. He would call us up and say that we were free to take our daughter back along with her belongings as she was not required," she added."Each time the husband, Sanjay, would come over and pacify things by saying that they could leave it to him and that he would ensure that no such thing would happen hereafter," said Komal's mother.The police have registered a case of dowry death and an SDM inquiry has been initiated.
