Chennai man arrested after High Court upholds conviction in his wife’s death over dowry harassment

A 35-year-old man, who had allegedly been absconding after the Madras High Court upheld his conviction in a case relating to his wife’s suicide, was arrested by the Triplicane police on Monday (September 28, 2026) and remanded in prison.

The police identified the accused as Raja, 35, a resident of Pallavan Salai, Chennai. His wife Sudha died by suicide at their residence in S.M. Nagar on May 16, 2016. The couple had married in 2014 and had a one-year-old child.

Dowry harassment

The Triplicane police initially registered a case of unnatural death. During the investigation, the police found that Sudha had allegedly been subjected to cruelty over dowry and had been driven to suicide. The case was subsequently altered to include charges of dowry harassment and abetment of suicide. Raja was arrested in 2016 and remanded in judicial custody.

The Mahila Court at Allikulam convicted Raja on May 31, 2022, and sentenced him to 10 years of rigorous imprisonment, besides imposing a fine of ₹15,000.

Raja later appealed against the conviction before the Madras High Court. After hearing the appeal, the court upheld the conviction but reduced the sentence to three years of rigorous imprisonment and retained the ₹15,000 fine on August 25, 2026.

Following the High Court order, the Mahila Court issued a warrant for his arrest and imprisonment. A police team led by the Triplicane inspector traced Raja and arrested him on September 28. He was produced before the court and remanded in prison.

Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline (104) and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline (044-2464 0050).