KOCHI: Aluva West police booked five persons, including the husband of a 22-year-old pregnant woman, after she filed a complaint that she was harassed over dowry and physically assaulted on Wednesday evening. The complainant is a resident of Thuruth in Aluva.
The case was registered against Mohammad Ali Jouhar (28), his mother Subaida (55) and sisters Shabeena and Shareena. A friend of Jouhar, Muhuthas, was also booked in connection with the incident. Police have intensified its search as they went into hiding.
Police said the woman complained that she was harassed mentally and physically over dowry ever since her wedding. As per the complaint, the woman who is four-and-a-half-months pregnant, was allegedly beaten up in the presence of her father. The attack reportedly happened after she declined to obey her husband, who asked her to go home with her father. The mother-in-law was present at the time of the attack and her sisters-in-law too telephoned her repeating the demands of Jouhar. Meanwhile Muhuthas, allegedly attacked the woman’s father.
The case was registered under IPC Sections 498 (enticing or taking away or detaining with criminal intent a married woman), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means) and 34 (act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention).
Police went to the husband’s house and found it locked. The suspects are likely to move court seeking anticipatory bail, sources said. They added that the couple got married nine months ago and the husband was allegedly paid Rs 8 lakh and given gold worth Rs 2 lakh as dowry. The complainant’s family alleged that Jouhar kept demanding more.
The woman’s father was at the couple’s home after the husband told them that he was selling the house to settle debts. The husband and his mother left the woman and her father at their house for four hours and when they returned, told them that an agreement had been made to sell the house. Subsequently, they told the woman to leave with her father. The attack happened when she refused and her father was beaten when he tried to intervene, sources said.
