Alipurduar, April 14: A woman ended her life today by consuming poison, fearing that she, too, would be arrested like her sons for the suicide of her daughter-in-law at a village in Alipurduar.

Menoka Barman (20) had married Binod Barman, a day worker from Promodnagar, more than a year ago. Yesterday, she killed herself, allegedly unable to bear the harassment by her husband, mother-in-law and brother-in-law who wanted more dowry.

Binod, his mother Dinobala (49) and brother Paritosh used to torture Menoka mentally and physically, claimed her uncle Kamalakanto Barman. He said the three had assaulted Menoka yesterday morning.

A humiliated Menoka consumed poison. She was taken to Birpara State General Hospital where she died in the evening.

On the basis of a complaint filed by Kamalakanto, Falakata police arrested Binod and Paritosh last night. Fearing that she will be put behind bars if the sons disclosed her name, Dinobala took poison and died in the house early today. A neighbour, Sukesh Das, said Dinobala was terrified after people in the village told her that the police would come back to pick her up.

The police have sent both the bodies to the Alipurduar hospital for post-mortem.

Kamalakanto said at the time of the marriage, Menoka’s family had given Binod a good amount as dowry. However, afterwards, they started demanding more money. “Although we gave them as much as we could, the moment we stopped, they started persecuting Menoka again.”

Villagers had reportedly intervened and called a meeting, but no solution emerged and Menoka continued to suffer in the hands of her in-laws.

Binod and Paritosh were produced in the court of the additional chief judicial magistrate of Alipurduar this afternoon.