Mumbai: A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to two years of rigorous imprisonment for cruelty to his wife for relentlessly demanding a child from her while she suffered three miscarriages. These were due to mental stress caused by taunts and accusations after the first miscarriage she suffered early into the marriage.
The couple was married in 2007 and the events continued till 2011. The woman alleged cruelty against her husband as well as his brother, sister and mother. The court said there are specific allegations only against the husband and general against the others and found the evidence deficient to convict the other family members.
Husband and in-laws' changed behaviour abruptly after miscarriage, claims victim
The woman had alleged that the behaviour of her husband and in-laws changed abruptly after her first miscarriage and pressure from them for a child was tremendous, causing her mental stress. They wanted a child from her “at any cost” she told the court during her testimony and that she should take necessary medical treatment for the same, even if it takes 10 years. They even threatened that her husband will remarry and divorce her. She contended that she had no physical infirmity and mental stress was the cause of her miscarriages. The husband sent her divorce papers 15 days after her third miscarriage, she told the court.
No medical treatment was provided by the accused to the victim
Metropolitan Magistrate Komalsing Rajput said evidence shows that accused persons rather than supporting her or taking care of her in such a state of despair, sent her to her parents' house repeatedly. They also threatened her with a second marriage and divorce and also served divorce papers on her. No medical treatment was provided by them, either to the conceived or medical treatment after abortion, rather they suggested to her that on account of her fault of some undisclosed infirmity, she is unable to give birth to a child.
While refusing leniency to the husband, the court said that the offence is against a woman and the record reflects that all the acts happened within a short span of married life. It also noted that the woman and her parents seem to have suffered a lot.
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