PATNA: In-laws of a woman allegedly injected acid into one of her ears for her refusal to bring dowry and get in the family way again after a miscarriage.

Admitted to a private nursing home at Kadamkuan in Patna since August 14, Ruby Devi said the incident took place at her in-laws' residence at Dhamaul village in Nawada district on August 13. "Since my husband Mangal Kumar was unwell, I asked my sister-in-law Puja to let him sleep in the room which has a ceiling fan and I went to sleep at the terrace," the 25-year-old told TOI on Thursday and added her father-in-law Shankar Kumar, mother-in-law Vaijanti Devi, sisters-in-law Puja and Barkha and brother-in-law Sujit Kumar suddenly started abusing and beating Mangal and then attacked her.

"They tied my hands and injected acid into my left ear by a syringe. They also injected acid in my waist and abdomen and forced to drink the same," she said and added when she started losing sense, they abandoned her and left.

The woman, who has completed +2 from BNR Training College-Patna with a first division, wants her in-laws to be severely punished. "My husband, who runs a small shop of utensils, is good. I want to stay with him," Ruby said.

Ruby's father Harihar Prasad, who lives at Alamganj in Patna, was informed by Ruby's neighbours about the incident. "We immediately went there and brought her to Patna," Prasad, a carpenter, said.

Doctors attending on Ruby said they were not sure what exactly was poured into her ears. "But her submandibular and parotid glands, known as salivary glands, are severely damaged," one doctor said and added though they planned to perform a surgery in a couple of days to remove the damaged glands, she might turn deaf and her voice hampered.

Ruby got married to Mangal three years back. "Her in-laws used to torture her for more dowry. They once sprinkled hot water on her. She had a miscarriage seven months back, but they were again forcing her to conceive," said Prasad.

An FIR in this connection was lodged in the Kadamkuan police station on August 15 and subsequently transferred to the Dhamaul police station. Nawada SP Manavjit Singh Dhillon, however, said on Thursday he was not aware of the details of the case. "But I will ensure necessary action is taken in this connection," he said and added the police were yet to arrest any of the accused.

