‘My husband’s younger brother would sleep on my matrimonial bed’

Krishna Pujari

FRUSTRATED by the mental and physical torture meted out by her in-laws over trivial issues, a newlywed woman from Kalyan has alleged that her husband’s younger brother, Jitesh Tiwari, would sleep on her matrimonial bed. The in-laws tried to show that she was suffering from fits and on that basis tried to seek divorce.

On March 21, 2016, Sujata Tiwari (26) registered an FIR (copy with ABI) under sections 498 (A), 406, 323, 504, 506 and 34 of the IPC against her husband Mukesh Tiwari, father-in-law Omprakash Tiwari, mother-in-law Sunita Tiwari, husband’s younger brother Jitesh Tiwari, husband’s younger sister Priyanka Tiwari and relatives Sumitra Vijay Mishra and Ranjana Tiwari. All accused are residents of C/401, Shivangi Apartment, Vijay Nagar, Kalyan (East). The accused succeeded in obtaining interim bail from a Kalyan court. Sources revealed that the accused paid Rs 1.5 lakh to K N Ghete, Senior Inspector of Kolsewadi police station, to avoid arrest and be helped in getting anticipatory bail.

According to Sujata, she married Mukesh Tiwari on May 7, 2014, in Kalyan. Soon after her marriage, her in-laws, especially her mother-in-law, began to torture her. She was taunted by the mother-in-law that she was very unlucky for the family. When Sujata tried to sleep, Sunita removed her bed sheet. She would push away with her foot the plate when the daughter-in-law sat down to eat. She would snatch vermilion and throw it.

“As if all this were not enough, my husband’s younger brother, Jitesh, was always sleeping on my bed. When I opposed him, he abused me in filthy language. My husband ignored my complaint,” Sujata said.

In 2014 Sunita forced Sujata to go on a fast without drinking water on Rakshabandhan, Teej, Janmashtami, Navratri and Monday in Sawan (the fifth month of the Hindu calendar). As a result, she fell unconscious.

“Meri saas mujhe har vrat ko nira jal rakhne ka dabav dalti thi. Ek baar main jab behosh hokar gir gayi to usne shor kar diya ki mujhe mirgi (fit) aati hai,” said Sujata.

The in-laws always tried to show that she was suffering from fits. However, they failed to prove that she was patient of fits.

The in-laws were unhappy as Sujata’s parents had not given enough dowry to satisfy them. They said they were reputable persons and builders in Kalyan.

“Mere sasur (father-in-law) Omprakash Tiwari hamesha kahte they ki jitni tumhare baap ki pagaar hai utna to main mahine me Kolsewadi police ko hafta de deta hoon,” Sujata added.

To maintain his ‘reputation’, Omprakash Tiwari bought a second-hand Maruti Swift Dzire car and told his relatives that the car was given by Sujata’s father. Later they started torturing Sujata to pay the car’s price. They booted out Sujata from home and ordered her to come back with the money equivalent to the car’s price.

On March 13, Sujata’s mother and father went to her in-laws house. They begged them to accept their daughter, but the in-laws strongly refused. On March 19, 2016, Sujata went to her in-laws’ home but Sunita closed the door and refused to accept her inside the home as she had not come with the money for the car. When Sujata forced her way into the house, Sunita, Sumitra and Ranjana thrashed her badly. Fed up with it all, Sujata sat on a dharna in front of Omprakash Tiwari’s building materials shop. Sujata also complained on the police helpline number. The police appeared there and took Sujata to the police station. Sujata was admitted in hospital for three days and later the police registered an FIR.