Mumbai man humiliates wife with ‘too short’ jibes

Surat: Along with body-shaming, Nilofer Patel was also tortured for dowry by her Mumbai-based husband and in-laws only because she was “too short”.
Patel filed a complaint against her husband Iqbal Patel, her in-laws, and her brother-in-law for demanding gold and silver jewellery besides Rs 5 lakh after their marriage. She told the police that he would always taunt her for her height saying, ‘Tu Batki Chhe’ (you are a dwarf).
The city’s Mahila police station filed a case under the dowry prohibition Act and other sections of IPC including domestic violence.
As per the case details, Nilofer got married to Iqbal in 2016 as per Sharia. After she became pregnant, her husband started abusing her demanding dowry. After her delivery, when she returned to Mumbai with their child, Iqbal and his mother Hasina started abusing her with Iqbal often taunting her about her height and looks.
Iqbal allegedly also asked her to divorce him so that he could remarry. Even her father-in-law Gulab and brother-in-law Manjur too joined the abusive party.
One day, her father-in-law dropped her at the railway station asking her to go back to her parental home in Surat. In 2021, Iqbal came to Nilofer’s home seeking pardon and requested she return to his home. Nilofer returned with Iqbal, but after reaching Mumbai, it was once again the same abusive tale of violence and misbehaviour.
This time, her in-laws abandoned Nilofer with her child and threatened her not to return without bringing Rs 5 lakh as dowry.
Following this, Nilofer approached the women’s police station and filed a formal complaint.