HYDERABAD: A 19-year-old woman was allegedly attacked by her husband with a paper-cutting blade over domestic disputes in Nagole on Sunday. The victim, Tanniru Mahalaxmi, has been admitted to a private hospital where she is receiving treatment.
Mahalaxmi married Upputalli Venugopal in August 2024. She told police that her family had given dowry at the time of marriage. Within a month, quarrels erupted between Venugopal and his father, forcing the couple to move into a separate room.
Three months ago, they shifted to Nagole. Venugopal, said to be addicted to alcohol, allegedly sold some of her gold jewellery without her knowledge to purchase liquor. When Mahalaxmi entrusted the remaining jewellery to her mother, he assaulted her, demanding she bring it back. He was also allegedly chatting with other women, and when she questioned him, he would beat her.
From the start of their marriage, police said, Venugopal frequently quarrelled with Mahalaxmi over petty issues and assaulted her. On several occasions, he allegedly threw her out of the house at midnight.
In July, she lodged a complaint at Nagole police station, after which the couple was referred to a counselling centre.
On Sunday, ahead of a house-warming ceremony at a relative’s home, Mahalaxmi asked Venugopal to accompany her. He allegedly grew angry, grabbed her by the neck, pushed her, and attacked her with a paper-cutting blade. She sustained a throat injury but managed to escape, shouting for help. Neighbours alerted the police, who shifted her to Supraja Hospital in Nagole.
Police registered a case under dowry and assault charges and arrested Venugopal.