A 22-year-old homemaker was killed allegedly by her husband and in-laws on Monday within three months of her marriage as she couldn’t meet their demand for more cash and jewellery even after paying a hefty dowry.

The deceased was Bithika Das, a resident of Gontra-Ghetugachhi here. Her father alleged she had been strangled.

Sources said Bithika used to be tortured by her husband Debabrata and in-laws. On Monday, they dropped her off at the Chakda State General Hospital and fled. The woman’s father, Jagadish Das, a resident of Badkulla, rushed to the hospital where she was found lying dead.

Later, he lodged a complaint at Chakda police station. The police started a murder case against the husband and four in-laws on the basis of the complaint.

The complainant said: “At the wedding, I gave the groom Rs 4 lakh in cash and valuables. But he kept making demands for more.”

“To ensure peace and happiness for my daughter, I had tried satisfying him on a number of occasions. But the demands kept growing. Clearly, this angered the in-laws, who started torturing her…. Now they have murdered her,” said the father, adding his daughter had been strangled.

The police found strangulation marks around the neck of the deceased. “Preliminary probe suggests the woman was murdered. We are awaiting autopsy report. The accused went into hiding,” said a police officer.