Thane Shocker: Pregnant Woman Alleges Dowry Harassment, Assault by Husband’s Family Leads to Miscarriage

Police in Thane have booked a man and his relatives for allegedly subjecting his pregnant wife to dowry harassment and physical abuse that reportedly resulted in a miscarriage, officials said on Thursday. The complainant, a resident of Dombivli in Maharashtra’s Thane district, married a software engineer living in Mumbai’s Parel in April 2024. In her statement, she said her father, a retired police officer, spent nearly ₹5 lakh on the wedding and gave gold ornaments to meet the groom’s family’s demands. Despite this, she alleged that the harassment began soon after the marriage and continued over time.

According to the complaint, the woman discovered shortly after the wedding that her husband was addicted to alcohol. When she objected, her in-laws allegedly reprimanded her and claimed she had no right to question him, asserting that her family had not given sufficient dowry. An official from Vishnunagar police station said the complaint also mentions that tensions escalated during the couple’s first wedding anniversary. A dispute reportedly erupted over fresh financial demands, during which two of her husband’s relatives allegedly insulted her father and shoved her, causing her to fall and suffer intense pain.

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The woman stated that about a month after the incident, she went for a medical examination where doctors informed her that the foetus had died nearly a month earlier. She claimed the doctors indicated that injuries from the fall may have contributed to the loss of her pregnancy. In her complaint, she further alleged that her in-laws confiscated her Aadhaar card, which was necessary for hospital procedures related to treatment and abortion, and warned her against approaching the police. She said fear and hopes of reconciliation delayed her complaint, but after the abortion, her in-laws allegedly demanded an additional ₹3 lakh before allowing her to return home.

Acting on her statement, police registered a case on February 20 against her husband, his parents, and two other relatives. The accused have been booked under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for cruelty, harassment, criminal intimidation, and voluntarily causing hurt, officials confirmed.