Delhi:
A lecturer with a renowned institute in south Delhi was allegedly frequently assaulted and tortured by her husband because he was jealous of her accomplishments, including proficiency in English.
A gold medallist in Master of Fine Arts from Jamia Millia Islamia University, the victim's troubles began when her husband noticed her talking to someone in fluent English.
"I was working with an institute as a lecturer but my husband Pradeep started taunting me. He used to beat me up over petty issues and would say that he should not have married an educated girl," she said.
She claimed she had done everything to be a good wife but her husband was unrepentant.
"Once he noticed that I look smart wearing spectacles and he bought a pair for himself. I used to prepare my hubby for his interviews. He was jealous of me and after sometime he joined an English Speaking class. But for this too he had to seek my help. When he came to know that I know how to drive he said he too wanted to learn," she added.
She said that apart from her education her husband also beat her up as she was not giving in to his dowry demands. "My husband asked me to bring Rs 5 lakh cash from my father but I refused. He then asked me to sing on divorce papers and to leave the house. He said that he will then marry a girl equal to him in education. I was beaten black and blue each time I suggested anything to him," she alleged.
She said that Pradeep and his parents would time and again ask her to sign divorce papers but she refused every time.
"In April this year, my husband beat me up, and he and his parents poured kerosene on me. I rushed out and called the PCR. After this I lodged a complaint with the Crime Against Women (CAW) cell of Delhi government," she alleged.
She claimed that during counselling she was pressurised by police officials to settle matters with her husband. "Officials of CAW tried to mislead me. During counseling they advised me to divorce my husband. I could not understand why they were favouring him," she told MiD DAY.
The victim married Pradeep Yadav, a resident of Kilokari village in south Delhi's Maharani Bagh area, around two and a half years ago. According to Kavita the first few months of her marriage were happy ones. "I was told that my husband Pradeep is an engineer but I came to know that he was not even a graduate," she said.
When approached by MiD DAY, Vikram Yadav, a relative of Pradeep, said that Pradeep was away from home and refused to speak any further. Meanwhile, a woman official of CAW cell said that she did not wish to reveal anything regarding the case.