After almost 17 months after the "mysterious" death of Sushma (22) who had died after she fell off the roof of her house in Dhanas, police have booked her husband Bhupinder Ashta (employed as a wireless operator with Punjab Police), her father-in-law Lakshmi Chand (Punjab Police Assistant Sub-Inspector), husband's brother Rajinder Singh (also with Punjab Police), mother-in-law Kalawati, and two sisters-in-law. They have been booked for dowry death and criminal breach of trust under Section 406 and 304-B of the Indian Penal Code. However no arrests have been made so far.

Police sources said that in April last year, Sushma died after she slipped and fell off the roof where she was putting out clothes to dry. She had been married for more than two years. Suspecting no foul play, the police began proceedings under inquest.

Police sources said that the deceased's father, Subhash Chander, who repairs watches at Karnal, alleged that Ashta and his relatives, as well as a Chandigarh Police inspector, warned them not to pursue the matter with the police and threatened them of dire consequences in case they did so.

Chander alleged that his daughter died under mysterious circumstances. He further alleged that soon after the marriage, her in-laws taunted her for bringing "insufficient" dowry. They would say that being a police officer their son could get a wealthier match.

She was "harassed, abused and ill-treated which stands substantiated from the statements made by her later." Citing one instance, Chander said that her husband asked her to get Rs 1 lakh as they wanted to purchase a plot of land. However, he could afford only Rs 10,000. At this she was "mercilessly beaten and subjected to harsh treatment."

He further alleged that a day before she fell, she was profusely crying and wanted to express her feelings before him, but her in-laws prevented her from doing so.