In a disturbing incident, a newly married woman from Maliyankara in North Paravur was subjected to severe abuse by her husband Rahul, just six days after their wedding, in connection with dowry demands. Rahul, a resident of Thekkevallikkunnu in Pantheeramkavu, insisted on additional gold and a car as dowry from his wife.
The couple tied the knot at the Guruvayur Temple on May 5. Rahul, an aeronautical engineer in Germany, is married to a woman who works as an engineer at a private company in Thiruvananthapuram. The families got to know each other through a matrimonial website. The bride's father, a retired government official and the head of the Co-operative Bank in Paravur, provided her with 75 sovereigns of jewelry for the marriage.
On May 11, following a party where Rahul consumed alcohol, he viciously abused his wife. He used a mobile phone cable to strangle her, repeatedly struck her forehead and nose, and caused injury to her lower lip. The assault went on until the early hours of the morning. When the bride's family visited Rahul's home on May 12, they discovered her in a weakened state with visible injuries to her face and lips inside a locked bedroom.
Despite Rahul's mother and sister being present in the house, they claimed to have heard nothing from their air-conditioned room. Rahul's father had passed away some years ago. Subsequently, the bride's relatives took her to a hospital and reported the incident to the Pantheeramkavu police. The bride is currently receiving counseling. Her family has informed Rahul's family of their decision to terminate the marriage with him.
In addition to charges related to domestic violence, the police have also filed a case against Rahul under the Dowry Prohibition Act.
