CHANDIGARH: In a state whose government regularly harps on girl empowerment and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao slogan, a woman allegedly locked inside a toilet by her husband for over a year was rescued in Haryana’s Panipat district.
Women protection and child marriage prohibition officer Rajni Gupta said she acted upon information and rescued the woman at Rishpur village on Wednesday. “I received information that a woman was locked in the toilet for over a year. I reached there with my team. It seems that woman has not eaten anything for many days,” Rajni Gupta said. “It is being said that she is mentally unstable, but it is not true.
We have talked to her and it was apparent that she is not mentally unstable. We cannot confirm whether she is mentally unstable, but she was locked in the toilet. We rescued her. We have filed a police complaint.” The woman, 35, was able to identify all family members and replied to the questions asked by the team. “Her husband could not produce document related to treatment of mental illness,” Gupta said.
The victim’s husband claimed she is mentally unstable.
“Whenever we asked her to sit outside, she did not. We have taken her to doctors but there was no improvement in her condition,” he said. The couple is married for 17 years and has three children — a 16-year-old son and two daughters aged 15 and 11. The police have filed a complaint. “We will take action after investigation. We will take doctors’ advice and proceed further,” said a police officer.
In-charge of Sanoli police station Surender Dahiya said a case was registered against the accused Naresh Kumar for subjecting a woman to cruelty and illegal confinement. Police sources said the behaviour of her children was not good towards her. They will be counselled to find out if they were involved with their father in locking the woman inside the toilet.