A 22-year-old woman has been allegedly tortured and ousted from the house in Kapilvastu Municipality-5 after she gave birth to a baby girl. 

Sabina Khatun complained that her husband Dilsar and father-in-law Ijahar Khan started torturing her since the birth of her daughter three months ago. 

“When I was pregnant, the family members often tortured me saying that there would be misery to me as well as to the whole of the family if I give birth to a daughter,” said the victim, adding that her in-laws started torturing physically soon after the birth of her daughter. 

Things turned to the worst last Wednesday, Sabina’s father Lais Pathan said, when Dilsar and Ijahar severely beat her during a wedding function in the village on Wednesday. She sustained injuries in her face and back. Sabina’s maternal family rescued her and took her to the Taulihawa Hospital. The hospital later referred her to Bhairahawa Medical College. Sabina is now at her maternal home following the treatment. 

Her in-laws had also seized the infant after Wednesday’s incident. On Saturday, police recovered the baby from Sabina’s in-laws and handed it over to her.  

Sabina was married to Dilsar 14 months ago. The victim claimed that her in-laws had also tortured her for not bring in enough dowry. 

Pathan claimed that he had provided Rs1.15 million in cash, a Mahindra vehicle, five tola gold, among others, as dowry during the marriage. “I will not let the perpetrators commit the crime again. I want justice. The guilty should be brought to book,” said Lais, who was recently elected ward chairman of Yashodhara Rural Municipality-5. He had lodged a complaint at the District Police Office on Thursday. 

“There was a minor dispute after she [Sabina] refused to prepare meal,” said Dilsar. The victim’s father-in-law Ijahar, who has been detained for interrogation, also filed a complaint against her. 

Deputy Superintendent of Police Pralhad Adhikari said the dispute arose between the fathers of the man and woman over a financial transaction. 

“Giving birth to a baby girl was not the cause of the incident,” Adhikari said, adding that the investigating into the torture case.