Is giving birth to a girl child a crime? It appears so going by the plight of Priya. Her husband, an employee in a Central government undertaking and a B.Tech graduate, is said to have deserted her and their five-month-old girl child here.
That is not all. Earlier, Priya was reportedly harassed for dowry and mentally tortured for not conceiving.
Priya from Dronachalam in Andhra Pradesh was given in marriage to Venkat Ramesh. A sum of Rs. 2 lakh and 10 tolas of gold were given as dowry. After some days, she was harassed for more dowry allegedly by her in-laws, with her husband supporting his parents. It was followed by mental and physical torture for not conceiving, which she tolerated. Things became normal once she conceived and was sent to her parents’ house after all the traditional rituals were performed.
However, when they received the news that she had given birth to a girl child, Venkat Ramesh and his family members asked Priya not to return. Despite the warnings, Priya returned with the child after three months. But her husband and his family told her that it was not an auspicious time and asked her to go back to her parents. Without any alternative, she went back.
Then she was in for another shock as she received her divorce papers, accusing her of ill-treating her mother in-law and not looking after household chores. Without delay, she came to Ballari only to be refused entry to the house, Priya told presspersons here on Monday.
Her husband and other members of his family, on realising that their neighbours would inform the police, have fled the city. Yet Priya, with her child, sat in front of the locked house for four days. The neighbours, taking pity on her, gave her food.
When efforts to trace her husband failed, she lodged a complaint with the Cowl Bazaar police.
Meanwhile, Minister of State Umashree, on coming to know of the incident, directed Women and Child Development officials to give shelter and protection to Priya. Somashekar, Child Development Project Officer, took Priya and her child to Stree Sevaniketan on Monday.
