‘Husband hit me, forced me to undergo abortion’

A Jain family from Shahibaug has approached the police after their daughter was beaten up, harassed and throw out of the house by her husband and in-laws living in Udaipur.

In her complaint submitted to the East Mahila police station, the 39-year-old woman claimed that her husband tortured her mentally, physically and even forced her to undergo abortion against her will.

Currently living with her parents in Shahibaug, Alka told police that she married Mahesh, a businessman from Udaipur, in 2001. "The family gave Rs 11 lakh along with gold and silver ornaments as dowry. After she moved to Udaipur following the marriage, Alka realised that her husband and father-in-law drank alcohol and ate non-vegetarian food. In fact, the entire family ate meat - a fact that was concealed from the girl's family before marriage on purpose," the complaint stated.

Alka claimed that her husband had married her under family duress. She told police, "Mahesh and his family used to abuse me and thrash me when he got drunk, and his relatives supported this. He also had a relationship with a girl who was living in their home on rent." She suspected the girl was a minor.

Alka also alleged that her husband forced her to undergo abortion due to his suspicious nature. "In 2007, when I returned from my parents' house after celebrating Rakshabandhan, I fell pregnant. Claiming that the child belonged to someone else, Mahesh forced me to abort the baby," she told police, adding, "Things came to head in February when my husband returned from a trip to Mumbai and picked up a quarrel with me. In his anger, he began thrashing me and my kids. When my brother and father came to Udaipur to intervene, he asked them to take me away. My son was appearing for his Class 10 Board exam in two months so I shifted to my sister's residence in Udaipur and later came to Shahibaug."

When Mirror contacted Alka's brother and asked why a complaint was filed so late, the Shahibaug resident said, "We were hoping to resolve the matter amicably but were unable to reach a settlement. So, we are taking legal action."

An official of East Mahila Police Station told Mirror, "The case has been registered. We will send a notice to the accused and further probe in under way."

(Names changed to protect identities)