Man Kills Wife, Hides Body Under Bed, Flees; Family Claims Dowry Harassment

Four months into their marriage, a man in Karnataka's Belagavi allegedly killed his wife, hid her body under the bed in their home and ran away.

When the accused Akash Kambar's mother returned home from her native village, she found 20-year-old Sakshi Kambar's body. Police sources said Akash killed Sakshi three days ago and fled. His phone has been switched off since the woman's murder.

Police registered a case and launched a manhunt to trace Akash. While the motive behind the crime is yet to be ascertained, Sakhi's family alleged dowry harassment.

The case comes days after a pregnant woman was allegedly beaten to death by her husband and in-laws in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri over dowry.

Per National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data, cases registered under dowry-related crimes saw a 14 per cent increase in 2023, with more than 15,000 cases recorded across the country and over 6,100 deaths reported through the year. The NCRB's 'Crime in India 2023' report said 15,489 cases were registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act in 2023 -- up from 13,479 in 2022 and 13,568 in 2021.

Karnataka reported the third highest number of dowry cases, with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar on the top of the list.