Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Victim of the Dowry Prohibition Act-The Story of the Gentleman From Lalitpur


“Agle Mahine ki tariq di hai court ne” This was the  statement made by the young person talking on the phone sitting next to me in the waiting room of Dadar Railway Station. He was young somewhere between 25 and 30.

Distress and gloom was written on his face. I, out of genuine concern asked him what the matter was. Was he facing some court problems???

And so he poured his story, a painful tale which left me stunned.

This young man came from a good family and had a thriving business in the city of Lalithpur, Uttar Pradesh. Life was going good and one fine day his parents decided to get him married.

Brides were scouted and finally they narrowed their search down to a girl residing in Suburban Mumbai. She had everything that the groom’s parents wanted. Caste, Community, family backgrounds and looks. The marriage ceremony was planned, things went on a normal course and the bride shifted to her Husband’s City-Lalitpur.

That was three years ago, what happened in the course of three years was something that i don’t know and the gentleman seated beside me did not care to tell.

And one fine day his wife shifted back to Mumbai, her parent’s home and decided not to come back. What was the reason of her odd behaviour?? Till date even her husband does not know.

All she said that she was not happy with the environment in Lalitpur, she missed the life of Mumbai.
As it has been done before in the Indian Society, the same was done in this case, elders tried to negotiate and bring this matter to a peaceful reconciliation. But alas!! no avail.

And one fine day she filed a case in the court against her husband seeking for a divorce. The husband was utterly shocked when he got the summon from the court. “How could she do this to me, i am her husband”, “she never discussed this matter with me even once”.

And he appeared in front of the metropolitan court in Mumbai which takes up divorce cases. But an unexpected and unprecedented disillusionment was in store for him. His dear wife of three years, the wife that this man loved with his heart and soul so much that he would fight with the devil to see a smile on her  face, she said this in front of the Judge when asked why she was seeking a divorce?

“Your Honor, it is Dowry Harassment”. And that was it; these words were enough to leave her Husband shattered. Never had he or his family ever asked any dowry or had ever harassed her for the same.

His wife had spoken exactly what was told to her by her parents and relatives. Dowry Prohibition act 1985, invoked to protect women from the social evil of dowry that plagues our society even today has been a double edge sword often misused by woman to get a fast track divorce and put her husband and in-laws in neck deep legal trouble.

For the last three months this gentleman from lalitpur paid visits to the Mumbai court along with his brother and got no reprieve. This visit however came with another surprise when he learnt that his wife was planning for remarriage after getting the divorce.

“Woh mere dil me bas gayi hai bhai sahib, nahi nikaal sakta usko,is janam mei  woh sirf meri hai aur meri hi rahengi”. “Divorce to usko milega nahi aur agar jo usne kisi aur se shaadi ki ,to marwaa dunga usko”. A crime of passion seemed to be in its making as he spoke of revenge.

People say that betrayal by the loved one can break a person both physically and mentally.
This was the case of the man from Lalitpur wrongly framed by his wife and his in-laws under the Dowry Prohibition Act.

This is Bhaveen Sheth signing off for the day. I will be back with more stories and Information.

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