Kendrapara: Although the Centre and state governments have implemented several schemes to empower women, they do not seem to have any impact in Kendrapara district. The case of a woman, who was tortured by her husband and in-laws for failing to give birth to a boy, is an example of negligence towards women in this district.
The matter came to the fore Tuesday after the woman, who sustained injuries in the attack by her husband and in-laws and has been undergoing treatment at the Pattamundai CHC, lodged an FIR with the Pattamundai police station.
The complainant, Swarnalata Bhola, (27), wife of Ashoka Kumar Bhola, is a resident of Kajalabandha. She filed the FIR after she was brutally assaulted Monday by her husband and in-laws as she had failed to give birth to a boy and had borne two daughters. Her husband tortured her for dowry too, said IIC Pramod Kumar Mallick of Pattamundai police station.
According to Swarnalata, she married Ashoka Kumar Bhola of Kajalabandha in 2010. Her father had given gold ornaments, furniture, household items and Rs 3 lakh in cash as dowry at her marriage.
She alleged that her husband and in-laws tortured her often for more dowry. The matter was temporarily resolved after her father and brother discussed the issue with her in-laws in the presence of other villagers.
“When I gave birth to a daughter it upset my husband’s family. Later, I gave birth to another girl and after that my husband and in-laws and started torturing me. They said that if I had delivered a boy, he would have performed the last rites of my husband. My husband used to threaten me that he would marry again if I did not give birth to a son,” Swarnalata said.
She said that her husband had no love and affection for their 7-year-old daughter Priya and 2-year-old daughter Prangya. While they were neglected by her husband, their male cousins were loved and pampered.
She said that when her daughters fell sick they were not provided medical care and were also not given new clothes or food by their father or his family. The two girls were also tortured by the family.
The main reason for this was that they were girls and would not be able to continue the family name or carry the biers of elders, Swarnalata observed.
“My mother-in-law Premalata quarrelled with me Monday as I did not give birth to a son. Later, my husband, Ashoka Kumar Bhola, mother-in-law, father-in-law Banambar Bhola, brothers-in-law Dipak Kumar Bhola, Pradip Kumar Bhola and Pravati Bhola assaulted after me pinning me down on the floor. My husband hit me on the head and may neighbours took me to the hospital when I fell unconscious. When I regained consciousness, I found myself in Pattamundai CHC,” Swarnalata said, alleging that her husband and in-laws had attempted to kill her.
After receiving Swarnalata’s FIR, police registered a case and arrested her husband Ashoka Kumar Bhola. He was remanded to jail custody after his bail plea was rejected, IIC Mallick said.
PNN