Delhi:
Wife of an Air India pilot Y K Dhani has approached Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel for justice, claiming assault and harassment by her husband. The pilot allegedly beat up his wife and daughter last year and recently partially demolished his own house and destroyed some religious idols with a JCB machine.
A case was registered against Y P Dhani by the Delhi police last year when he allegedly attacked and injured his daughter Soumya.
Upasana Dhani says she decided to approach the civil aviation minister after the police refused to register a case this time around allegedly on grounds that her husband did not commit a crime.
Praful Patel has reportedly asked the Chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women, Barkha Singh, to look into the matter.
Upasana had a love marriage with Y P Dhani around 25 years ago. For the last few years the family has been living in Vasant Kunj area along with their three children - two sons; Vivek (a trainee pilot with Air India) and Samyak and daughter Soumya. According to Upasana, her husband started misbehaving with them after they shifted to their new house.
"He (Dhani) has started calling us slumdogs. Last year he brutally beat up Soumya with a toy ship made of iron. Soumya suffered severe injuries on her head and hands. We called the police after which he ran away from the house. Soumya and the other kids are living in fear since then," said Upasana.
Soumya, a first-year student of Gargi College, gave us a complaint letter written by her against her father.
"My father is habitual to beating us. He hurls abuses at us. Nowadays he has become extremely violent against the whole family. He calls us idiots because we have refused to support him in his psychotic actions," read the complaint letter received by Vasant Kunj (south) police station.
Upasana said her husband is mentally disturbed and doesn't want to live with his family. She claims she doesn't have any source of income and her husband doesn't give her a single penny to run the house.
"I installed CCTV cameras at the house after he demolished the front gate with a JCB. Police are not taking any action though he broke the place of worship inside the house," said Upasana.
The pilot however accused his daughter, Soumya, of assaulting him with an iron pipe.
"I have been serving with the civil aviation ministry for the last 28 years. I understand everything that's happening. My wife Upasana has some mental problems. She and Soumya are being influenced by my brothers-in-law. Soumya treats me as if I am a fresher at her college and she is a senior. She is studying sociology and is trying to create a rift between me and my wife. On that day she assaulted me with an iron pipe," said Dhani.
"She fractured my thumb. To defend myself I lifted up a toy ship and she suffered injuries in the process, accidentally. She has boyfriends who are vagabonds and plays violent video games along with her brother due to which she has resorted to all this," he added.
"I love my family a lot. I took a loan of Rs 30 lakh and made my son Vivek a trainee pilot in Air India. Soumya and Upasana are trying to grab my property," he alleged.