In the Jodhpur district of Rajasthan, a 30-32-year-old school lecturer named Sanju Bishnoi tragically ended her life and that of her three-year-old daughter, Yashasvi. On Friday afternoon, she returned home, locked the doors, poured petrol on herself and the child, and set them on fire. The little girl died on the spot, and Sanju succumbed to her injuries in the hospital the next morning.

Neighbors rushed to the house when they saw smoke, but it was too late to save them.

Police recovered a handwritten note at the scene. In it, Sanju accused her husband, in-laws, including her mother- and father-in-law and sister-in-law and another individual named Ganpat Singh of relentless harassment, tied to dowry pressures.

Police Response and Family Actions

• Sanju's father, Omaram Bishnoi, registered an FIR accusing the in-laws and husband of harassment and abetment to suicide.

• The police seized Sanju’s mobile phone and gathered forensic evidence from the house, including the note. Investigations are ongoing, and neighbors and relatives are being questioned.

• There was friction between Sanju’s parents and the in-laws over custody of the bodies. After a post-mortem, mother and child were cremated together in a joint ceremony.

This is a heartbreakingly clear reminder of how deeply damaging dowry harassment can be. A teacher—someone who should be shaping futures was driven to this desperate act. And she took her young daughter with her. It’s a story that leaves a family shattered and a community mourning. At the same time, it’s a call to action: society must stand firm against the quiet suffering caused by dowry pressures and ensure no one feels they’ve run out of options.

Let’s hope the investigation brings some answers and justice and that this tragedy sparks real change, so it never happens again.