Mumbai Crime: Woman forced to eat stale food for months for failing to pay dowry

Ghatkopar woman, who was forced to eat stale food for months and subjected to inhuman torture for failing to pay Rs 20 lakh as dowry, approaches police

A 24-year-old woman was branded by hot objects, made to stand for hours inside a circle drawn on the floor with chalk, shut inside a bathroom without light and given stale food to eat – all allegedly because she had failed to pay Rs 20 lakh dowry.

After six months in hell, Panchshila Sawant approached the Ghatkopar police on Wednesday and filed a complaint against her husband and in-laws. While the torture survivor has been admitted to Rajawadi hospital for treatment and she remains critical, her husband, Milind Sawant has been detained by cops.

Panchshila Sawant. Pics/ Satej Shinde

According to police sources, Panchshila and Milind, 28, got married six months ago and they reside in Ambedkar Nagar, Ghatkopar West. An officer at Ghatkopar police station said, "As per Panchshila's complaint, one month into their marriage, her husband and in-laws started tormenting her physically, besides verbally abusing her, demanding R20 lakh dowry. Panchshila silently endured the torture."

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Eventually, Panchshila broke down in front of her parents, who sought the help of an NGO to rescue her from her in-laws. Members of the NGO accompanied Panchshila to the police station to file a complaint, before taking her to the hospital.

A police officer with the Ghatkopar police, said, "As per the Supreme Court's order, we cannot arrest the accused immediately in dowry cases, without collecting evidence. We are in the process of recording the statements of the Sawants."

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