Woman tonsured, paraded almost naked in West Bengal village for dowry

india

Updated: May 22, 2017 12:42 IST

A mother of a 10-month-old son was tonsured and paraded almost naked in a West Bengal village on Friday for failing to meet the dowry demand of her husband and in-laws, police said on Monday.

Her agony did not end there. As she fell ill and became almost unconscious, they dumped her in a nearby field to die.

After neighbours informed her parents, they rescued her and admitted to a hospital.

Victim’s husband and father-in-law were arrested, while her mother-in-law and a couple of other relatives, also accused in the case, are on the run.

Sections related to attempt to murder and domestic violence have been slapped on the accused after the father of the victim lodged a complaint with the police.

Crime against women is very high in West Bengal. According to the latest data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 33,218 such cases were recorded in the state in 2015 alone.

The latest incident took place at Panchagram in South 24 Parganas district.

“A case has been registered against the arrested persons. A search is on for the others,” said Diamond Harbour police district super Koteswara Rao Nalavath.

Neighbours said for months the woman had been tortured, mostly in the form of verbal abuse and beatings for Rs 30,000.

She got married two years ago.

“They assaulted me and tore my clothes…I was then tonsured and paraded in the village,” the woman told media persons from her hospital bed.

She said her in-laws wanted the money to arrange second marriage of her husband.

Stating that the entire village silently watched the torture, she demanded punishment for all.