Hyderabad: K. Geetha was wearing 16 tolas of gold when she got married, at the age of 18, in the year 2011. However, not all of that gold was hers; her parents borrowed ornaments for her to wear on her wedding day, but her in-laws thought that she would be bringing all of it with her.
“My husband, K. Satish, who is in the lorry transport business, began demanding more dowry because he thought that all the gold was mine. I was sent back home within three months of the wedding to get the dowry. Somehow my parents arranged for Rs 5 lakh, but that was not enough for my husband and his family. I was beaten, even while I was pregnant, and forcefully fed medicines that were not meant for me. I was taken to a mental hospital and given medicines meant for people who are mentally ill,” she says.
Geetha, a native of Visakhapatnam, is now the mother of a five-year-old boy. She is seeking a divorce, but her petition is still pending. “My son and I are facing a lot of health issues because of the harassment meted out by my husband and his family. My father-in-law tried to sexually assault me. It has become difficult for me to bear this pain. I have not received any maintenance so far. I demand that my husband and his family should be strictly punished; they are threatening to hurt me if I take any steps against them.”
