Why does one pay dowry? Maharashtra girl commits suicide to alleviate her father of 'burden'

Mumbai: In a tragic incident, an 18-year-old girl from Latur district, who was academically bright, committed suicide so her poor farmer father doesn’t have to pay dowry for her marriage. [caption id=“attachment_2592740” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. AFP[/caption] Mohini Bhise, a resident of Bhise Wagholi village in the district, about 500km from here in the impoverished Marathwada region, hanged herself in her house yesterday, police said today. In her suicide note, the teenager questioned the existence of the social evil despite being banned under laws. “Why does one pay dowry?” Mohini asked in the note, according to the police. She asked her father not to observe any religious rituals after her death, police said. A villager described Mohini as a bright girl who had scored above 80 per cent marks in her Class 12 exam. PTI