Woman alleges dowry harassment

She claims her husband, in-laws tried to kill her after snatching her mangalsutra, but she managed to escape

Woman alleges dowry harassment

She claims her husband, in-laws tried to kill her after snatching her mangalsutra, but she managed to escape

In a case of alleged dowry harassment, a 25-year-old housewife escaped death at the hands of her husband and in-laws yesterday. The victim, Satyavani, claimed that she was thrown out of her marital home by her husband Muniswamy and her mother-in-law after the accused snatched her mangalsutra.

Tortured: Satyavani

According to the police, Satyavani, was being harassed by her in-laws for the last seven years, barely two months after she had married Muniswamy. In her complaint, Satyavani said that her family gave Muniswamy's parents Rs 50,000 as dowry. But later, her in-laws started demanding more and even sent her back several times, said a cop.

In her complaint, Satyavani said that her in-laws and husband never gave a full meal. When she refused to bring extra dowry they didn't allow Muniswamy to talk with her. She was made to sleep in the hall. She was also beaten every day for silly reasons. When she called her father to solve problem, the Muniswamy family beat him too.

Satyavani filed her first complaint in 2008, but her in-laws convinced her that they wouldn't let it happen again. They did stop torturing her for a while, but it started again after two months. Then she filed her second complaint in 2009, and again, they convinced her for a compromise. But they didn't stop torturing her.

Things turned worse yesterday, when her husband and her in-laws beat her and snatched away her mangalsutra. Muniswamy was apparently in a rage, and wanted to kill her, but Satyavani escaped somehow.u00a0

u00a0"I want justice. They would kill me if my parents don't pay them. We do not have any money," Satyavani said.