Odisha: Woman assaulted by in-laws in Bhubaneswar

BHUBANESWAR: The lockdown has brought to the fore a violent side of a couple’s marital discord in Khandagiri area of Bhubaneswar. A woman was brutally assaulted by her father-in-law and brother-in-law and pushed in a drain outside their home as she accused them of trying to arrange a second marriage for her husband.
The 22-year-old woman was married to Haider Ali (30) of Khandagiri area in January this year. They had taken a house on rent in the Khandagiri area. Two months ago, Ali allegedly picked up a quarrel with her and left home. She often visited the house of her in-laws and did not find Ali.
“On Tuesday afternoon, I again went to the house of my in-laws. I heard that they were arranging a second marriage for my husband. But they did not let me enter the house and asked me to leave. I strongly suspected my husband was present inside the home,” she alleged.
When she pleaded with her father-in-law Mohammed Samsudin to allow her to meet Ali, he assaulted her. “I was trying to call the police, but my father-in-law snatched away my phone and smashed it on the ground. He then slapped and kicked me. My husband’s elder brother Mohammad Faruk came out of the house and attacked me. He threw me in a drain,” she alleged.
The assault on her was shot by a neighbour, helping the police to get vital evidence against the attackers. “We have arrested her husband Haider Ali and are looking for Samsudin and Faruk,” an officer of Khandagiri police station said.
In the wake of a large number of domestic violence cases during lockdown in different states last year, the chief minister Naveen Patnaik had in April 2020 asked the state police to take steps to prevent such offences in Odisha. The police subsequently launched a ‘phone-up’ programme to address issues related to domestic violence. Under the programme, the police called up women, who were earlier subjected to domestic violence, and verified their wellbeing during the lockdown period. The women and child development department had issued a WhatsApp number last year to report complaints of domestic violence.
However, no such services have been started during this lockdown. “Many cases of domestic violence and atrocities on women may have gone unnoticed. The police should take steps for the safety of the women,” Sushama Swain, a woman activist said.
Police said they are committed to the women’s safety. “Even though we have not started any specific programme to address the issues relating to domestic violence, the victims can call the police for help. Our personnel will collect their complaints from the doorstep,” an officer in the state police headquarters said.
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