CBI asked to probe judicial officer's wife dowry death

The Patna High Court on Friday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct further investigation into the alleged torture and murder of Chandini Chanda over dowry, the wife of a judicial magistrate of Patna Civil Court Pratik Shail.

- Avinash Kumar

PATNA:

Chandni married Prateek on May 11, 2022. As part of the dowry, her parents allegedly gave ₹22 lakh in cash and a four-wheeler worth ₹18 lakh. On August 17, 2023, Chandni died while undergoing treatment at Paras Hospital.

During a hearing in the High Court, Chandni's father, Ashok, submitted documents related to the purchase of an MG Hector (Registration No. BROIFU-6196), which was bought by taking a bank loan in the name of his elder daughter. She qualified for the loan as she ran her own interior design business under the name "Vintage Home Décor." Ashok also presented documents showing payments amounting to ₹28 lakh, made through bank withdrawals and loans taken in his elder daughter's name.