india

Updated: Jul 08, 2014 09:47 IST

Neha Yadav, 29, who was set on fire by her in-laws for dowry six months ago in west Delhi’s Sagarpur — and whose case hit the headlines after Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and then Delhi women and child development minister Rakhi Birla took on the police over the issue — died of her injuries earlier this month.

Yadav’s family and the police confirmed her death. She died at Safdarjung Hospital on July 2. She had been in and out of the hospital for two months.

The case had given AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal, who was then the Delhi chief minister, another reason to sit on a dharna at Rail Bhawan, demanding the suspension of some police personnel, including the SHO of the Sagarpur police station.

The political pressure led to swift action on the part of the police, culminating in the arrest of Yadav’s five in-laws. They were later released on bail by a city court.

Despite all the initial support, Yadav’s family now seems alone in their grief. Neha’s father Virender Singh told HT that after getting bail, her in-laws are moving freely and have been threatening his family.

“No action has been taken by the police. AAP leader Rakhi Birla called us two days ago to inform us that she was unwell. She assured to help us in the case,” he said and added that a few local AAP members had also met them.

On January 13, Yadav was set on fire, allegedly by her five in-laws over dowry demand, in front of her five-year-old son. She had suffered 45% burn injuries and was admitted to Safdarjung Hospital.

She had been showing signs of recovery but doctors said the damage to her internal organs led to her death. “Neha had been readmitted to the hospital thrice in the past two months. The latest was on June 21 and she died in hospital,” Singh said.