Man arrested for allegedly throwing pregnant wife off building

The police have arrested the husband of a 24-year-old woman for allegedly throwing her off a building, three days after the victim was admitted into Safdarjung Hospital in Delhi.

The Indian Express reported that she was pregnant but gave no further details on her condition.

The victim suffered severe injuries on her head and back, also fracturing her legs and arms, and is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.

The police reported that the horrific incident occurred in Ghadi Chaukhandi village in Noida Sector 122, just outside New Delhi, on Sat, June 3.

According to the police, the incident was not a one-time occurrence; the victim had suffered a history of domestic abuse, with her brother filing several complaints against the man and his family.

The brother, Santinder Kumar, had claimed “that her husband, mother-in-law and sister-in-law used to beat her up,” said officer Zaheer Khan.

Married in February 2016, the newlywed couple moved to Noida to start their life together.

Dowry in the form of cash and a motorcycle were given to the groom's family - to ensure the bride would be welcomed and accepted into a loving family, but that did not stop the abuse from occurring.

“They demanded a car,” the victim’s brother, Satinder Kumar, said alluding to the motorcycle that the groom’s family contemptuously dismissed, “[then] they began harassing my sister.”

Then less than two weeks ago, according to statements from her family, the victim was beaten up by her in-laws.

“When we came to know about this, both families met to resolve their differences. But early Sunday morning, I received a call from her husband saying that she had fallen from the stairs. We rushed to Noida and came to know that my sister had been admitted to a private hospital there.” Kumar said.

Sadly, such instances of abuse are not out of the ordinary in a country where a woman is killed every hour over dowry.

Earlier this year, a 21-year-old woman caught in a dispute over dowry payments was burned alive by her husband and parents-in-law, The National reported. 

Similarly, after unending harassment from her husband, a software engineer from Hyderabad hung herself in early February. 

tarinis@sph.com.sg