Bhopal: 24-year-old woman lodges dowry plaint against PWD officer

BHOPAL: A 24-year-old woman approached Habibganj police and filed a complaint on charges of assault and harassment over a demand of Rs50 lakh in dowry against her husband and in-laws on Tuesday.


The accused is posted as a sub-divisional officer in the public works department at Khandwa. The accused's father is a sub-divisional magistrate in Raisen.

Habibganj police acting on the complaint registered a case against the accused under relevant sections of the IPC and Dowry Prohibition Act.

Investigation officer SI Shubham Pandey said that complainant Prachi, hails from Jawra in Ratlam. Her father Arun Sharma is section engineer in the Railways. She stated in her complaint that she married Sajal Upadhyaya, a resident of E-7 Arera Colony, on June 14, 2018, who is presently posted as SDO in the PWD at Khandwa. His father Sanjay Upadhyaya is an SDM in Raisen district, while his mother Meena is a homemaker.

SI Pandey said that Prachi in her complaint alleged that just a month after marriage, her husband Sajal, father-in-law Sanjay and mother-in-law Meena started harassing her mentally and physically. They taunted her for bringing less dowry as per their expectations. She said that her parents spent much on her marriage and gifted 600 grams jewellery along with Rs40 lakh cash. At the time of her marriage, she had a bank balance of Rs15 lakh, which her husband and in-laws withdrew.

SI Pandey said Prachi alleged that she was not given proper food to eat. When she desired to do some private job, her husband assaulted her. They used to torture her and sent her back to her parent's home to bring money. She alleged that on November 4, her husband and in- laws assaulted her and forcefully ousted her from their house. They instructed her to bring Rs50 lakh dowry from her parents or else not return. They even kept her jewellery with them.

The woman's husband, while talking to TOI rejected the accusations. He said due to difference of opinions, she threatened him of framing in false domestic violence cases and commit suicide. Since it was not possible for them to reside together, he had filed a case for judicial separation from his wife at a family court .