Rajasthan Lecturer Sets Self, Daughter On Fire; Suicide Note Mentions Dowry Harassment

A suicide note accused her husband, in-laws, and another individual of torment. Police are investigating the case, including the note and forensic evidence.

Sanju Bishnoi, a 30-year-old lecturer, and her daughter died by self-immolation in Jodhpur, allegedly due to dowry harassment.

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Tragedy struck a village in Jodhpur district after a 30-year-old school lecturer and her three-year-old daughter died in a shocking case of alleged dowry harassment.

The woman, identified as Sanju Bishnoi, returned home from school on Friday afternoon and set herself and her daughter, Yashasvi, ablaze inside their residence in Sarnada village, under Dangiyawas police station limits. While the toddler died on the spot, Sanju succumbed to severe burn injuries during treatment on Saturday morning, police confirmed.

Neighbours raised the alarm after noticing smoke rising from the house. By the time help arrived, both mother and child had been engulfed in flames, leaving little chance of rescue, reported NDTV. 

Authorities said a handwritten note believed to be a suicide letter was recovered from the scene. In it, Sanju accused her husband, Dilip Bishnoi, along with her mother-in-law, father-in-law and sister-in-law, of constant harassment and cruelty linked to dowry demands. She also named another individual, Ganpat Singh, alleging that he, too, had tormented her. Police are investigating his role in the case.

Following Sanju’s death, tensions flared between her parents and her in-laws over the custody of her body. After a post-mortem examination, her remains were handed over to her parents, who performed a joint cremation of mother and daughter.

Her father, Omaram Bishnoi, lodged a First Information Report (FIR) accusing his son-in-law and other family members of harassment and abetment to suicide. Police have since seized Sanju’s mobile phone and collected forensic evidence from the house.

“The note and other material evidence are under examination. We are also questioning relatives and neighbours as part of the investigation,” a police official said.