Husband, in-laws want doctor in Bangalore to be modern, harass her

Sept 8, 2010

A 30-year-old doctor has registered a dowry and mental harassment case against her husband after living with him for just 10 days post marriage. However, in a private complaint filed in court, her husband has sought judicial separation from her, alleging she did not co-operate on matrimonial obligations.
Dr Nalini G, a resident of HRBR Layout, has filed a complaint with the Banasawadi police alleging that her husband and his family members harassed her for her “boring lifestyle”. They wanted her to be more modern and wear short skirts and crop her hair, she said. This was not acceptable to her, she said. “My mother-in-law would force me to cut my hair short and adopt a modern lifestyle. She even forcibly took me to the beauty parlour to shorten my hair, but I refused,” she said. She alleged that her brother-in-law would make her watch English channels and ask her to dress up in short clothes and western outfits.
Dr Nalini said her husband would not allow her to sleep before he slept, and his mother would not allow him to enter the bedroom before 1 am. “After coming to the room, he would use me physically and later make me sleep on the floor. The family members used to spend a lot of time consuming alcohol and would force me also to consume it,” she said.
“My husband hasn’t even taken me on a honeymoon. When I would talk about it, he would say he wouldn’t go without his parents.” She has also accused the family of demanding dowry.
“Soon after our engagement on December 6 last year, my in-laws
had started demanding a vehicle, cash and gold. They had even threatened to call off the engagement, if their demands were not met. As I am the only daughter, my parents took a lot of loans and ensured that all the demands were met. But, lately, my in-laws have started demanding a share of my father’s property. Once, during an argument over this in my clinic, my husband manhandled me in front of my patients. The Hoysala police saw it and came to enquire what the matter was. But I sent them away saying it was a family issue.”
Dr Nalini said her in-laws had sent her to parents for the traditional ritual during Ashada Masa in July (when wife stays away from husband). But they did come to take her back after the end of Ashada Masa. “They refuse to pick my call. I was left with no option but to register a case.”
However, her husband A Dilip Kumar, an engineer, had a different story to tell. In a private complaint registered by his advocate in court, Dilip has sought judicial separation from Dr Nalini. “My wife, Dr Nalini, did not cooperate on matrimonial obligations and stayed with us for just 10 days after our wedding in April,” he alleged in his complaint. Dilip has not mentioned anything about dowry. Dr Nalini has submitted the list of the gold ornaments and also the bills for the car her father had bought to be given as dowry.
“Dilip’s family members have been absconding since the complaint was lodged,” Banaswadi police inspector NB Sakri said. “Even their telephones are switched off and there is no progress in the case yet.”