NEW DELHI, Jan 7, (Agencies): A 26-year-old doctor from the southern state of Kerala in India took her own life after her boyfriend declined to marry her due to her family's inability to meet his parents' dowry demands.

The deceased, identified as Shahana, was a postgraduate student in the surgery department at the Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram, and she had been in a relationship with Dr. Ruwais.

Reportedly, Ruwais's family had requested 150 gold sovereigns, 15 acres of land, and a BMW car as dowry, according to local media outlet Mathrubhumi. Faced with the inability to fulfill all these demands, Shahana's family was unable to proceed with the wedding, leading the young woman to take her own life. In a suicide note she left behind, Shahana expressed despair, stating, "All that everyone wants is money only."

Following the tragic incident, a police complaint was filed against the boyfriend, invoking charges of abetment to suicide and violations of dowry prevention laws. The boyfriend was subsequently arrested on Wednesday night, according to PTI news agency.

Shahana is survived by her mother and two siblings, as her father, who worked in the Gulf, passed away two years ago.

In response to the incident, the Women and Child Development department has initiated an investigation, with the Kerala Women's Commission Chairperson, Sathidevi, visiting Shahana's mother to demand a thorough probe. The women's commission is seeking a detailed report on the actions taken by the police in this matter.