Pregnant housewife tortured, shaved for dowry

A pregnant housewife became victim of brutal torture by her dowry-greedy husband in Baufal upazila of Patuakhali on Tuesday.

The victim Priyanka Rani, 20, was able to flee from confinement at her in-laws’ house in Kalaiya launch terminal area of Baufal upazila and reach her father’s house the next day.

Police arrested the victim’s husband Tapos Chandra Mondol, 25, and his mother Laksmi Rani, 45, on Wednesday night.

Priyanka said her husband is a drug addict and he often asked her to bring money from her father’s house.

“On Tuesday he asked me to bring Tk 50,000 from my father. As I refused, he physically tortured me. At one stage he cut my hair with a boti (a sharp tool used in kitchen). Then he called a man from the nearby saloon and got my head shaved. “Afterwards, they confined me to my room. On Wednesday evening, I managed to flee from my in-laws’ house and informed my father,” said the victim, in tears.

Priyanka’s father Shushil Chandra Karmakar said, “During marriage of my daughter five years ago, I gave her husband Tapos three tolas of gold along with cash money but he continued pressing for more. I demand justice for the brutal torture on my daughter.”

Priyanka filed a case accusing her husband Tapos, father-in-law Porimol Mondol, mother-in-law Laksmi Rani and sister-in-law (husband’s sister) Bithee Rani with Baufal Police Station on Wednesday night.

“Police arrested Tapos and Laksmi Rani from their house on Wednesday night. They were produced before Patuakhali Senior Judicial Magistrate’s Court today [Thursday] noon and the court sent them to jail,” said Md Mostafizur Rahman, OC of Baufal Police Station.

“Investigation is on and we are trying our best to arrest the other accused,” he said.