“Jyoti Maurya Bewafa Hai” became a widespread outcry on social media after a video surfaced online wherein a man in tears alleged that his wife left him after she became a Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM). Alok Maurya, Jyoti’s husband had accused her of having an extra-marital affair with Manish Dubey, who is posted as a home guard commandant in the Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh.
In the latest development in the case, Dubey has been found guilty of wrongful conduct during a departmental inquiry in the case.
On Tuesday (July 11), DIG Home Guard Santosh Singh presented DG Home Guard BK Maurya with the report based on a departmental investigation. Manish Dubey has been found guilty of tarnishing the image of the department following which his suspension from his post has been recommended.
Alok, Jyoti and a tale of alleged “Bewafai” and “corruption”
The Jyoti Maurya case came to the fore in June this year, when a video of Alok Maurya, a Class VI employee in the Panchayati Raj department in the Pratapgarh district of Uttar Pradesh came to light. Alok had alleged in that his wife Jyoti Maurya “left” him after becoming an SDM, he also claimed to have caught his wife “red-handed” in 2020 leaving a hotel in Lucknow.
Alok alleged that Jyoti was “spending nights” with Manish Dubey in hotel rooms on the pretext of “official meetings” in Lucknow.
In the video, Alok Maurya said he was married to Jyoti in the year 2010. Alok claimed to have financially supported Jyoti’s education from 2010 to 2016. He said that for Jyoti to continue her education, he went so far as to take loans. Jyoti passed the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Civil Service (UPPCS) exams in 2016 with a 16th-rank and went on to become a civil servant in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh.
Alok Maurya also accused Jyoti Maurya, General Manager at a sugar mill in Bareilly, and police officer Manish Dubey of conspiring to get him killed. Alok also claimed to have WhatsApp chats pertaining to the alleged plot to get him murdered.
Jyoti and Alok have twin daughters. Alok said that everything was going fine in the family till 2020, however, things started taking a bitter turn after Jyoti came in contact with Manish Dubey. He alleged that he read the lewd chats of Jyoti and Manish last year after she logged into her Facebook account from one of the phones at their home. Alok claimed that when he confronted Jyoti over the alleged lewd chats, Jyoti threatened to get him jailed.
Recently, some alleged Whatsapp chats of Jyoti Maurya and Manish Dubey surfaced online wherein the two exchanged messages about getting married.
Alok also claims to have evidence that his wife, Jyoti Maurya, is a corrupt civil servant. Alok claimed to have a 100-page diary which has information regarding his wife’s alleged corruption.
As per Alok’s allegations, the said diary contains details of Jyoti Maurya’s “monthly extortion”. Jyoti Maurya allegedly earns 6 lakh rupees monthly through illegal means. Alok had filed a complaint at the Home Guard Headquarters over the alleged corruption. Alok claimed that the handwriting in the said diary is that of Jyoti, he even urged the department to verify the same.
The diary in question mentions that in October 2021 alone Jyoti allegedly made 6.4 lakh rupees. It also mentioned that amounts were extorted from marketing and supply inspectors.
Jyoti Maurya files dowry harassment lawsuit against husband Alok Maurya
Accusing her husband of harassing her for dowry, Jyoti Maurya filed a case against him at Dhumanganj Police Station. Jyoti alleged that Alok Maurya and his family were demanding a Fortuner SUV, a flat and 50 lakh rupees from her. She is reported to have alleged that Alok and his family were “torturing” her and even blackmailing her using a purported obscene video of her.
Alok on the other hand refuted the allegations levelled by Jyoti and her family claiming that it is her tactic to secure a divorce from him.
Meanwhile, Jyoti’s family has accused Alok of lying about his job to get married to Jyoti. Jyoti’s family alleged back in 2010, Alok claimed to be a Panchayat officer but he was employed as a “Safai karmi (sanitation worker)”. They reportedly showed a marriage card to back their claims. However, Alok Maurya denied the allegations and said that the marriage card is fake. He said that when they got married, Jyoti was not a teacher, but the said marriage card mentions that she was a teacher back then.
Regarding the WhatsApp chats in question, Jyoti Maurya claimed that the WhatsApp texts have been misrepresented and that the “truth will eventually come out” given an investigation is ongoing.
Amidst the high voltage drama, a purported audio recording of a telephonic conversation between Jyoti and Alok went viral wherein Jyoti was heard saying she does not know if Manish (Dubey) will leave her or not but she will not stay with Alok reiterating her demand for a divorce. Alok is also heard confronting Jyoti about her alleged links with Manish Dubey.
Alok, Jyoti, and the social media outrage
The twisted saga of alleged infidelity, torture, and corruption has been a hot topic over social media, with netizens expressing their opinions. Social media witnessed an outpour of support for Alok Maurya with many equating him with Heera Thakur, an iconic character from the popular movie Sooryavansham. In an uncanny similarity with the Jyoti Maurya case, the film depicts Heera Thakur—portrayed by veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan, a bus driver working hard to ensure her wife’s preparation for civil service exams. The only difference is that Heera Thakur’s wife did not abandon her husband after becoming an officer.
Amidst Alok and Jyoti’s tussle, their twin daughters are apparently suffering the most as they are being deprived of their normal childhood and the much-deserved love of their parents. Alok has alleged that Jyoti Maury is not allowing him to meet his twin daughters.
The domino effect of the controversy: Husbands unwilling to support the govt job preparation of their wives
Amidst the ongoing social media uproar and media scrutiny, Jyoti and Alok’s dramatic story has triggered a domino effect as several incidents around the country have come to the fore wherein husbands have reportedly started to withdraw the names of their wives from coaching classes.
Pintu Singh, a resident of Chaugain village in Bihar’s Buxar, has called his wife Khushbu Kumari back from Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh out of concern that she would leave him if she landed a government post. Khushbu was preparing for the state civil service exams. Pintu even went so far as to decline to pay for his wife’s educational expenses. Pintu ignored Khusbu’s repeated pleas that not everyone is the same and she will not leave her husband out of concern for suffering the same fate as Alok Maurya.
In Amethi, one Sushil Kumar Mishra, a resident of Riva Khuri Barhatta village in Madhya Pradesh claimed that he helped his wife in her nursing education. However, she left him for a Sainik School teacher after finding a job in the same school in Amethi. Sushil alleged that his wife now residing in Amethi does not allow him to meet their daughter.
Meanwhile, another Jyoti Maurya-like case emerged in Jharkhand wherein a man named Kanhai Pandit alleged that his wife Kalpana abandoned him after securing a job as a nurse. He claimed to have funded his wife’s education, however, she left him after getting a job adding that she also took Rs 28000 and some jewelry. The matter is currently under investigation.
Interestingly, in one such case from Madhya Pradesh, a man left his wife after becoming a tax officer. Kamru Hathile was preparing for banking competitive exams while his wife supported his education by working as a domestic laborer. After becoming a commercial tax officer, Kamru left his wife. During his posting in Ratlam, Kamru met another woman and entered into a live-in relationship with her. The matter reached the police station eventually in 2021.
Khan Sir claims husbands of 93 women stopped their education at his coaching classes after the Jyoti Maurya case
Recently, a video of popular educator Khan Sir emerged where he said that due to the Jyoti Maurya case, so far 93 women had quit his coaching classes, as their husbands no longer support them in their exam preparation. This came in the aftermath of the Jyoti Maurya case as the husbands of the said 93 students feared that they too will be meted out Alok Maurya-like treatment after their wives become officers.
Khan Sir criticized the men depriving their wives of education and the opportunity to make a career of their choice after the Jyoti Maurya case. He said that everyone should not be judged for the actions of one person.
“About 93 husbands have got their wives’ names cut off from the coaching. I tried to convince them. This is wrong. How can you punish someone for someone’s mistake?” Khan Sir said.
Meanwhile, a family court in Prayagraj adjourned the hearing of the petition submitted by Jyoti Maurya seeking divorce from her husband to August 18, 2023.
Jyoti and Alok Maurya’s story became a talking point on social media, eliciting a wide range of opinions and counter-opinions. Some felt empathy for Alok and accused Jyoti of betraying him even when he had “taken the pain to make sure that her dreams became a reality.” Social media is rife with questions about whether Alok is right in feeling cheated or if Jyoti is right in seeking to leave her husband who does not fit her socio-economic status. Jyoti’s claims of harassment from her husband and in-laws are also being discussed.
While seeking divorce is certainly not a crime but rather a person’s right, this case represents the social conflicts of the current generation in India. Jyoti and Alok come from a part of India where a government job is often the best, and only way to earn social standing and economic success.
Millions of young people in India spend several years preparing for the tough exams for government jobs. Expensive Coaching classes and years of struggle to achieve that dream are a reality for most households in many Indian states.
At the same time, this case brings to notice the dilemmas for young people in India. The pressure of getting married in the 20s, dowry, the social craze for a government job, and the realities of balancing marriage, and family with the responsibilities of a job continue to haunt youngsters.