A pregnant YouTuber who was allegedly being harassed for dowry by her husband and his family was found strangled and stabbed to death at her parents’ home, where she had fled to escape them.
Victim Chittari Vaishnavi 20, who was three months pregnant, was found lying in a pool of blood in her room at the family home in Madhapur village of Jagtial district, in the Indian state of Telangana, in the early hours of Tuesday, 17th March.
Her mother and aunt told police they saw her husband, Gandam Hari, 24, fleeing the scene on a motorcycle before they discovered her lifeless body.
Police said Chittari sustained stab wounds to her neck, chest and hands, and showed signs of having been strangled before being attacked with a knife.
Deputy Superintendent of Police for Metpally, A. Ramulu, confirmed: “Her husband, Hari Babu, is the prime accused. He is absconding.” Police have formed special teams to locate him.
Chittari had around 50,000 subscribers on YouTube and 91,000 followers on Instagram, where she posted family vlogs. Her husband had appeared alongside her in videos on the channel.
A month before her death she announced her pregnancy on her YouTube channel.
Days before the incident, she posted a vlog about a doctor’s visit, telling her followers her scan had gone well and that she would return to making content soon.
Her father, C. Durga Prasad, filed a formal complaint at Korutla police station. He alleged his daughter had been subjected to dowry harassment by her husband, his mother and his brother.
Police said the couple had been married for approximately 10 months. The husband’s family had opposed the marriage, leading to ongoing family disputes.
The couple had been living at Chittari’s parents’ home after tensions with Hari’s family made living at his family home untenable.
Neighbours reported frequent arguments between the couple, including one on the night of the incident.
The investigation is ongoing.
