Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (SP)

Karkala, Apr 25: Judge of civil and JMFC court here has issued orders restraining Sameer Ahmed from Thirthahalli, who has been accused of taking his wife after marriage to Dubai and torturing her, from leaving the country till the hearing in the case concludes.

The deputy commissioner of the district has been asked to issue suitable directions to passport officials to surrender the passport of the accused to the court. This order was issued as Sameer failed to appear before the court although he was asked to present himself on April 21.

The marriage of Ayesha (name changed) from Udupi had been solemnized with Sameer, son of Abdul Samad from Thirthahalli in 2011. Initially the family of the bride was told that the boy was a BSc graduate, but later it transpired that he had studied only till second PU. Ayesha however did not make this an issue after coming to know about it, it is said.

After undergoing harassment for two months at the house of her in-laws, Ayesha was taken to Dubai but strangely Sameer looked like being in angry mood always. As soon as he returned from work, he used to watch blue films in his laptop and also pressurized Ayesha to follow suit. When she resisted, she was attacked, it is learnt. Even after she became pregnant, Ayesha did not get nutritious food and hence became very sick. At the insistence of the doctor there,  she was sent to her parental home in August, 2012. As Sameer desired to have a male offspring, after he came to know during scanning that the  baby would be female, Ayesha had been utterly neglected.

Ayesha gave birth to her child in February  2013 and went to Dubai with her four-month-old baby but she continued to suffer physical torture. On one occasion, she says, her husband even threw away the baby. When she referred this matter to her in-laws, they said that being male, Sameer had the liberty to do anything he wants.

Unable to cope with the violence, at the advice of her parents, Ayesha returned to her parental home in March 2017. She approached the women and child welfare officer in March 25, 2017. As neither her husband nor his family came forward to mediate the issue or promise of mending ways, Ayesha's health deteriorated and her child had to be hospitalized.

Ayesha then contacted Human Rights Protection Foundation here and filed suit in civil court. As the husband did not come even after summons were issued, the judge ordered him to pay Rs 5,000 per month towards sustenance of his wife and child. Sameer did not obey this order even after six months. At the instance of the district deputy commissioner, a case of family atrocities was filed in the court by the women and child welfare officer.

President of the foundation, Ravindranath Shanbhag, gave these details at a press conference he addressed at Udupi in the presence of the victim. Vidya Shanbhag, Chandrakala Poojary, and advocates, Vijayalaxmi and Nivedita were present. Shanbhag was particularly appreciative of the deputy commissioner of the district for holding two meetings on this issue and infusing confidence in the victim. He said that in such cases, psychiatric help would be required. He added that there are plans to hold symposiums on this issue at various places. He also added that a team of about 25 young men has been formed to avoid possibility of physical assault.