4th Nov 2012
The husband and in-laws of a 22-year-old woman from Malad were arrested on Friday for setting her ablaze. Heena Shaikh battled for life at Bhagwati Hospital for two days before succumbing to 100% burns on Saturday. But before she died, she told the police about the torture she was subjected to and based on her dying declaration, her husband and his parents have been booked on murder charges.
Heena got married to an imitation jewellery trader, Altaaf Shaikh (25), in 2010. The couple stayed with Altaaf's parents at Mira Park in Pathanwadi, Malad (E).
"On Thursday night, Heena told us that fed up with the harassment by her in-laws, who constantly demanded dowry from her parents, she set herself on fire. But on Friday, when her statement was recorded before a special executive magistrate, Heena said her in-laws had torched her in their flat, while her husband stood by and watched," said senior inspector Subhash Dafle. Based on her words, the police took Altaaf and his parents, Lal Mohammad (57) and Rehmeen Bi (54), into custody on the charge of attempt to commit murder. "Around 11am on Saturday, Heena died following which her Friday's statement was treated as a dying declaration and the charges against the accused were enhanced to "murder". They have been booked under section 302 of the IPC," Dafle added.
Heena's ordeal began soon after her wedding. "Her husband and in-laws started torturing her physically and mentally. They wanted her to fetch money from her parents so that they could expand their jewellery business. They also taunted her for not bringing enough dowry during wedding," said an official. Heena's parents, who stay in Jalna, are of modest means, with her father and brother being truck drivers. During her wedding, Heena's parents paid a dowry of Rs 10,000 but the in-laws later demanded another Rs 50,000 which, they could not afford.
The Shaikhs' neighbour, Pamela Bagde, told TOI that Heena had confided in a few residents of the housing society about the torture she faced. "We never expected that the Shaikhs would act this way. The family seemed very religious," said Bagde. "At the same time, we used to hear horror stories about Heena. The Shaikhs had bred poultry inside the flat and insisted that Heena did all the cleaning; she was not even allowed to sleep in the bedroom."
"Around 10.30pm on Thursday, we spotted smoke billowing out of the Shaikhs' kitchen window and presumed that their cylinder had burst. Though the neighbours went to the flat, the family did not open the door for a long time. The residents kept banging on the door, till the Shaikhs finally came out. Inside, it was dark and I found Heena, almost naked and unconscious, in the bathroom. I can't forget the sight. We brought buckets of water to douse the flames. Heena was badly charred. We summoned the Kurar police," Bagde added.
On Saturday, the Shaikhs were remanded in police custody till November 7.
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The husband and in-laws of a 22-year-old woman from Malad were arrested on Friday for setting her ablaze. Heena Shaikh battled for life at Bhagwati Hospital for two days before succumbing to 100% burns on Saturday. But before she died, she told the police about the torture she was subjected to and based on her dying declaration, her husband and his parents have been booked on murder charges.
Heena got married to an imitation jewellery trader, Altaaf Shaikh (25), in 2010. The couple stayed with Altaaf's parents at Mira Park in Pathanwadi, Malad (E).
"On Thursday night, Heena told us that fed up with the harassment by her in-laws, who constantly demanded dowry from her parents, she set herself on fire. But on Friday, when her statement was recorded before a special executive magistrate, Heena said her in-laws had torched her in their flat, while her husband stood by and watched," said senior inspector Subhash Dafle. Based on her words, the police took Altaaf and his parents, Lal Mohammad (57) and Rehmeen Bi (54), into custody on the charge of attempt to commit murder. "Around 11am on Saturday, Heena died following which her Friday's statement was treated as a dying declaration and the charges against the accused were enhanced to "murder". They have been booked under section 302 of the IPC," Dafle added.
Heena's ordeal began soon after her wedding. "Her husband and in-laws started torturing her physically and mentally. They wanted her to fetch money from her parents so that they could expand their jewellery business. They also taunted her for not bringing enough dowry during wedding," said an official. Heena's parents, who stay in Jalna, are of modest means, with her father and brother being truck drivers. During her wedding, Heena's parents paid a dowry of Rs 10,000 but the in-laws later demanded another Rs 50,000 which, they could not afford.
The Shaikhs' neighbour, Pamela Bagde, told TOI that Heena had confided in a few residents of the housing society about the torture she faced. "We never expected that the Shaikhs would act this way. The family seemed very religious," said Bagde. "At the same time, we used to hear horror stories about Heena. The Shaikhs had bred poultry inside the flat and insisted that Heena did all the cleaning; she was not even allowed to sleep in the bedroom."
"Around 10.30pm on Thursday, we spotted smoke billowing out of the Shaikhs' kitchen window and presumed that their cylinder had burst. Though the neighbours went to the flat, the family did not open the door for a long time. The residents kept banging on the door, till the Shaikhs finally came out. Inside, it was dark and I found Heena, almost naked and unconscious, in the bathroom. I can't forget the sight. We brought buckets of water to douse the flames. Heena was badly charred. We summoned the Kurar police," Bagde added.
On Saturday, the Shaikhs were remanded in police custody till November 7.
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