Bhubaneswar, April 17: A newly-wed woman was found dead at her residence in Khandagiri on the city outskirts today. Her family members have alleged foul play in her death.

The body of Swati Mishra, 25, was found hanging from a ceiling fan at her Siddhi Vihar residence. Mishra was married to Asitav Rath, an area manager of a medicine company.

The woman worked as an instructor in a private pharmacy college in Patia.

The deceased and her husband had a love marriage four months ago. Her family members alleged that Rath had been torturing her over the past few days over trivial issues.

She had called her mother, who lives in Khurda, to her house last evening and had told her about this.

“She called her mother this morning and told that her husband was beating her again. She was very upset. I was in my hostel and mother told me to go and meet her. When I went to her house around 10am, she was dead and her husband was not at home,” said her brother Sonu, who is a student at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology.

The deceased’s family members said she was getting ready for office and had cooked food like any other day before she allegedly committed suicide.

“When we contacted her husband, he was not in the city and said he was in Talcher on official work. As he did not return till late evening, we suspect he might have killed her and made it look like suicide,” said a family member. Mishra’s family members said for the past few days, the deceased had been complaining of torture, following which her parents had sent some household goods to her house with the hope that the torture would stop.

Mishra’s family members informed police and lodged a complaint against Rath. The police sent the body for post-mortem at Capital Hospital. Further investigation is on.

Negligence charge

The death of a woman at Capital Hospital following childbirth triggered tension today. Family members of a 23-year-old woman alleged negligence in treatment, which they said, caused her death after giving birth to a boy. The family members also brought bribe charges against the hospital staff including the doctor, attending patients.

The deceased, Mamata Swain, who lived in Gop area of Puri district, was admitted to the hospital at 11am yesterday. She gave delivered a boy at 5pm following an operation.

Her husband, Kalindi Swain, said her condition was good till this morning. “A nurse came to attend to her around 9am today, but she did not treat her properly. Within a few minutes, she fell unconscious and died,” said Swain. He alleged that the nurse had demanded money and since he did not pay her, she did not attend to his wife properly and this led to her death.

However, chief medical officer of Capital Hospital Sudarshan Sahu said he had not got any complaint regarding bribe charges.

“The woman, who died today, had fits and this caused her death. If the family members give written complaints, we will inquire into the matter,” said Sahu.