The Bhokardan police in the Jalna district of Maharashtra freed a woman and her three-year-old child who had been chained and imprisoned by her parents for the previous two months. The development transpired on 3rd February on the directions of the Aurangabad Bench of the Bombay High Court last year, following a complaint by the victim’s husband.
According to an official, Shahnaz also known as Sonal, was saved from a residence in Bhokardan tehsil’s remote Alapur hamlet where her parents kept their daughter and grandson locked and shackled in a room for two months. The woman, who is in her twenties, had married a 25-year-old Dalit man and had a son with him who is three years old. However, her family disapproved of the relationship.
“The couple had an inter-faith marriage registered in the court of law. In 2020 they got married and also had a child. The woman’s mother used to visit them in Aurangabad and last year she convinced them to visit their Alapur village and meet all the family members, claiming they had forgiven her. When they came down to her village, the husband was beaten up by the parents and thrown out of the house. The woman and her son were chained and locked inside a room since then,” Sub-Inspector B.T. Sahane, who was involved in the rescue operation informed.
The husband made many efforts to reach her and bring her back, but he was repeatedly denied access to the house. Eventually, he approached the high court after submitting a complaint at the police station. The official further conveyed, “After the court order, the police team raided the house twice last month (January) but could not find them. We managed to convince her brother, who helped us with details of where and how she was held captive with her son. On 29th January the police team raided the house wearing civilian clothes and found their ankles chained inside a room. The parents got into fight with us without realising we were police.”
On the same day the woman and her kid appeared in court and were turned over to the husband by a government attorney. “We are expecting to lodge an FIR (First Information Report) only if the victim wants to do so. She will visit the police station on 5th February.” BT Sahane added.
