Mysuru: The daughter of a city-based retired IAS officer, who accused her brother in law Prabudha Harsha Murthy of raping her when she was eight months pregnant, of trying to strangle her and her unborn child, while her well connected in-laws Dr C. B. Murthy and Nalina Murthy aided and abetted the rape, murder attempt and the dowry harassment over three years of torture ever since she married the Murthys' second son Promod in 2011, finally explained why she had kept silent until now.
In an FIR that was formally released by her advocate Mr Aravind Sharma- who serves at the office of Assistant Solicitor General of India, High Court of Karnataka, Bengaluru - she not only details the inhuman treatment meted out to her by the Murthys, she also writes that she did not go public with her complaint of rape as her in-laws pleaded with her to remain silent as their family’s name would be besmirched.
She also says she did not want to upset her own family, as both her parents were ill. The rape victim had appeared before the VV Mohalla police in Mysuru on Tuesday where she participated in the required spot Mahajar, accompanied by her parents, her husband, child and her brother. Her advocate also released the counter complaint of attempt to murder lodged by her brother in law against her husband that is dated 16th February 2015.
In a series of startling accusations, the FIR states that the young woman’s husband had walked in as the rape and attempted murder was in progress. It denies that the rape victim stayed in the same house with the family and delivered the baby at the Murthy family run BM hospital. It states that the Murthy family had moved out, and says the rape victim, who had already been forced to undergo one abortion by the family, had undergone three surgeries and was taking bed rest when she was raped had moved to Bengaluru and was admitted in a hospital for medical care. She had only moved back to her parents home two weeks ago, under police protection, the advocate said.
What this case is about
A former IAS officer’s daughter had last week lodged a criminal complaint of rape against her brother-in-law – Dr. Prabudha Harsha Murthy — and domestic violence and dowry harassment against her in-laws – Dr C.B. Murthy and his wife — at Indiranagar Police Station. The police had registered the FIR and the case was transferred to Mysuru because the crime had allegedly occurred there in November last year, when the complainant was eight months pregnant.
Mysore City Police Commissioner: No interference
Pressure from various sections, including political, is said to be coming in the way of a fair investigation into the alleged rape of a pregnant daughter of a retired IAS officer by her own brother-in-law in Mysuru recently. There seems to be pressure from a MLC and a few officers on the police to go slow on the investigation. Mysore City Police Commissioner Dr M A Saleem denied any kind of political pressure against the arrest of the accused in the rape and dowry harassment case. “Investigation is going in the right direction. It does not matter to us that a relative of Dr Murthy’s wife is a member of the Legislative Council,” he said.
But, will police act?
Despite the police knowing the whereabouts of the accused in this case, questions are being raised as to why there has been no action against the accused in this heinous crime. The victim’s father says, “The reputed B.M. Hospital, run by the accused family, offered free treatment to police personnel. This has obviously tied the hands of the police as they feel obligated (to the family) and they will be unwilling to act tough against them.”
In-laws upset property was going out of family: Advocate
Questioning the delay in the arrests of the accused for the alleged rape and dowry harassment and attempt to murder, Mr Sharma said that police said they needed more evidence before an arrest. "But when they register a case, why haven't investigations begun," he asked, questioning whether Ms Nalina Murthy's brother, Mr Srinivas M an MLC with close ties to the current Congress government had allegedly any role to play in it.
The complainant states that her in-laws were extremely upset over the marriage. Said the advocate: "Her parents in law were upset that she, an outsider had married into their family and were apprehensive of the family's wealth going outside the family. Her mother in law taunted and nagged her, saying she was a bad omen, that she brought bad- luck, disaster and was inauspicious for the family," Mr Sharma said.
“Shortly after the marriage they demanded her she bring a dowry of '12 to 15 Crores from her parents after pledging her father's home in Bengaluru,” the advocate said, quoting the FIR.
“Her brother in law pressed her to get money from her family to the tune of '45 crores and asked her to leave the house in middle of the night on many occasions. Her brother in law who was in possession of several weapons used to fire guns in the house, threatening her and trying to get her to leave house," he said.
Mr Sharma also alleges that she was the subject of repeated sexual advances, and that her food was laced with poison but the maid alerted her. "The maid was removed from the job," and has now resurfaced.
The FIR further states that on another occasion, when her brother in law made sexual advance, it was witnessed by Veerabhadra, a family driver who later died under mysterious circumstances and that his death was hushed up without any enquiry.
I attempted suicide several times: Victim
"I was helpless as I could not confide any of these torturous acts of my brother in law and in laws with her family members as they were aged having serious health problems. I also attempted to commit suicide number of occasions. Later I decided to have a baby hoping that would bring a change, but in one of the routine checks up in BM hospital, the sex of the baby was determined and the harassment increased and I was compelled to terminate it. When I openly declared that I would lodge a Police complaint, they would boast that the police, several politicians were with them, especially her Mother in law's elder brother Mr Srinivas M. MLC in Bengaluru. I was broken by the cruelty meted out to me, I could not approach anybody much less the police, as my family's honor was under threat and was deterred by the threat by her brother in law and his cousin Navin. Not wishing to cause shock and pain to my parents I bore all the torture silently."
‘Father-in-law stopped my husband from filing plaint’
The advocate said that “on 11 November 2014, her brother in law raped her and tried to strangle her. But her husband intervened." The FIR states, “My husband wanted to report the same to Police immediately, but he was stopped by the father in law who locked the door and told him that by doing so he would only put their family's name and her own at stake. However if I did not take up this issue it would haunt me forever, as I would have let a man who had acted in such a beastly manner, raping a pregnant women, go scot free. I did not rush to police as I thought it would complicate my pregnancy which was in last state and was already a high risk one and I feared having a miscarriage. I was feeling constantly guilty but I had decided that I would do so after the birth of the child. My brother in law having learnt the intention to lodge a complaint he had claimed that the Police would not entertain them as there would be a delay in approaching the Police and that nobody would believe the case. He and his cousin Navin had proclaimed that the couple would be eliminated without a trace by hiring supari killers. Apprehending a complaint by me my brother in law lodged a complaint against her husband alleging him of having him assaulted him with a stick on the very day of the incident of rape,” she has stated.
She has also alleged that, “My husband was sidelined by the family because he had married a girl from the different religion, resulting in my husband and me begging for every penny from my father in law." The magistrate will be recording the statement of the complainant on April 23rd - 24, Mr Sharma said.
