Bride’s Viral Audio Reveals Hidden Dowry Under Cot — Shocks Entire State of Tamil Nadu

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A harrowing story of dowry abuse, family pressure, and a young woman’s desperate struggle for dignity has gripped the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and sparked outrage across the country. The tragedy centers around Rithanya, a 23-year-old woman from a wealthy family, whose final WhatsApp voice messages to her father have gone viral, exposing the dark realities behind her seemingly lavish marriage.

A Life Cut Short

Rithanya, the cherished daughter of Annadurai, came from a family that had amassed enough wealth to support generations. Just three months ago, she was married to Kavin Kumar, the son of another affluent family in the same region. At the time of the wedding, Annadurai provided a dowry of 500 sovereigns of gold jewelry (worth over $400,000) and a luxury car valued at 7 million rupees (about $85,000). The wedding was a grand affair, a celebration of tradition and prosperity.

But beneath the surface, Rithanya’s new life was anything but joyful. Within days of the marriage, she began facing relentless mental and physical abuse from her husband and in-laws. According to her family, Rithanya was subjected to constant criticism, isolation, and demands for more money and jewelry. The pressure became so unbearable that she returned to her parents’ home several times in tears, saying she could not bear to live with her husband’s family.

The Viral Audio: A Daughter’s Last Words

Shortly before taking her own life, Rithanya sent a series of WhatsApp voice messages to her father. These audio clips, now widely circulated on social media, have left listeners across India heartbroken and angry.

“I’m sorry, Appa (Dad),” she says in a trembling voice. “I can’t take it anymore. I’ve tried everything, but this life is not for me. Please forgive me.”

In the recordings, Rithanya details the emotional and physical torment she endured. She describes being locked in rooms, forbidden from touching anything in the house, and constantly berated for not living up to her in-laws’ expectations. “They keep finding fault with everything I do. They make me feel like a burden,” she says.

Rithanya also reveals that her husband’s family demanded she produce all the gold jewelry given at the wedding and pressured her father to invest millions more to set up a business for her husband. “They asked, ‘Where is all the jewelry? Bring it here and show us.’ They wanted more money, more things. I couldn’t take it anymore.”

Most distressingly, Rithanya speaks of the physical abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband, both mentally and sexually. “No one understands how much I’m suffering. Everyone just says, ‘This is how marriage is; you have to endure it.’ But I can’t. I don’t have the strength.”

A Father’s Grief and a Family’s Protest

When Annadurai received the news of his daughter’s death, his grief was overwhelming. In the viral audio, his voice breaks as he pleads for forgiveness, lamenting the fate that befell his beloved child. “What can I say? No one should ever go through what my daughter did,” he says through tears.

Rithanya’s relatives staged a protest outside the Avinashi Government Hospital, refusing to claim her body until her husband, mother-in-law, and father-in-law were arrested. Their demand was clear: justice for Rithanya, and accountability for those who drove her to despair.

Police Action and Public Outcry

The police responded swiftly, arresting Rithanya’s husband Kavin Kumar, his mother Chitradevi, and his father Eswaramoorthy on charges of dowry harassment and abetment to suicide. An official investigation has been launched, with authorities promising strict action once the inquiry is complete.

The case has reignited a national conversation about dowry abuse and the pressures faced by women in traditional Indian marriages. Despite laws banning the practice, dowry remains deeply entrenched in many parts of India, often leading to financial strain, domestic violence, and in tragic cases like Rithanya’s, suicide.

A Systemic Problem

Rithanya’s story is not unique. According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, thousands of women die each year in dowry-related incidents. Activists argue that the true number is likely much higher, as many cases go unreported due to social stigma and fear of retribution.

“This is not just about one family or one community,” says Lakshmi Menon, a women’s rights advocate in Chennai. “It’s about a system that devalues women and treats them as commodities to be bought and sold. Until we change attitudes and enforce the law, we will keep losing young women like Rithanya.”

A Final Plea

In her last messages, Rithanya makes a heartbreaking request: “I don’t want to live in that house anymore. I’m sorry for causing you pain, Appa. Please forgive me.”

As her story continues to make headlines, many hope that Rithanya’s voice will not be forgotten—and that her tragic death will spur real change in the fight against dowry abuse and domestic violence in India.