The capital city on Sunday witnessed three heartrending incidents of dowry torture in separate places. All the three women sustained serious injuries after they were attacked by their husbands and mothers-in-law. So far, the Commissionerate Police have arrested a man and detained two others in connection with the cases, while a man was on the run.
In the first case, a woman Jashoda Panda (31) lodged a complaint with the Mahila police on Saturday against her husband Ranjan Panda (40) from Khandagiri area for brutally torturing her physically for last eight years on various counts, including dowry. According to the victim, she got married to Ranjan on September 30, 2005 as per Hindu rituals. Their married life was peaceful for a year and then started the saga of torture for dowry.
“However, I managed to tolerate all the pain for the sake of our only son,” she said.
Jashoda said her husband had stitched her private part in a private hospital doubting her character. On September 23 this year, he cut her private part with blade and then stitched it giving her anesthesia. On Wednesday, he kept physical relation with her forcibly after opening of the stitch. Again the husband stitched that part by a thick thread on Friday. When she opposed it, Ranjan pushed a tube light in her stomach and made her bald headed.
After the serious case, her mother-in-law Sarojini Panda and brother-in-law Prakash Panda admitted her in a private clinic in Ganganagar, said Jashoda. Meanwhile, the police booked Ranjan under Sections 498 (A), 323, 294, 307 of IPC and 4DP Act and arrested him from the city. In the second incident, Neelam Biswal (30) was allegedly set on fire by her mother-in-law again for dowry. She was staying at Unit-III area under Kharvel Nagar police limits. After the incident, the neighbours rescued Biswal and admitted her at the Capital Hospital, but she was later shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack.
Biswal had got married to Raghukula Tilak Biwal and had been staying in the city for last two years. On Sunday at around 3:30 pm, her mother-in-law Arati set Biswal on fire after pouring kerosene on her in the dining room. She was rushed to a hospital here. The Mahila police have detained Arati and Raghukula in this connection and started an investigation.
In the third incident, Santosh Behera (35) stabbed his wife Suni Behera (25) at his house at Bharatpur area under Khandagiri police limits in the wee hours of Sunday. After the incident, she was rushed to the Capital Hospital, but when the condition of Suni deteriorated, she was shifted to the SCB Medical College and Hospital at Cuttack. Accused Behera has been absconding.