Sun Apr 13 06:06:42 UTC 2025: ## Gwalior Medical Store Owner Dies by Suicide After Daughter’s Interfaith Marriage
**GWALIOR, INDIA –** A 49-year-old medical store owner, Rishiraj alias Sanju Jaiswal, died by suicide in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, late Wednesday night. His death follows his daughter’s marriage to a man from a different community against the family’s wishes.
Jaiswal was found dead in his bedroom with a gunshot wound to the temple. Police discovered a suicide note written on a printout of his daughter, Harshita’s, Aadhaar card. In the note, Jaiswal expressed deep distress over Harshita’s decision, lamenting the perceived failure of the legal system to uphold his parental rights. He questioned the validity of his daughter’s Arya Samaj marriage and the court’s decision allowing her to remain with her husband.
Harshita, who had left home 15 days prior, was subsequently located in Indore and returned. However, during a court hearing, she declared her marriage legal and chose to stay with her husband.
The suicide note reveals Jaiswal’s emotional turmoil and his belief that the legal process and a lawyer had failed his family. It also contains expressions of regret, stating that while he considered harming both his daughter and her husband, he couldn’t bring himself to harm his daughter.
Following the suicide, tensions escalated in the neighbourhood. Relatives of Jaiswal allegedly assaulted the father of Harshita’s husband, leaving him unconscious. Police have intervened and are investigating both the suicide and the subsequent assault, appealing for calm in the community. Authorities are also examining Jaiswal’s phone and conducting a forensic investigation. Jaiswal is survived by his wife, son, and daughter. The incident highlights the complex emotional and legal issues surrounding interfaith marriages in India.
First Piper 