Accused was allegedly unhappy with the fact that the victim was better educated than him; was forcing her to get divorced

Jealous husband tries to kill wife

Accused was allegedly unhappy with the fact that the victim was better educated than him; was forcing her to get divorced

Reports of domestic violence against women are common; even in the nation's capital. The reasons range from the mundane to the bizarre. The causes behind Kavita Yadav's (name changed) traumatic experience would fall in the latter category.

Unhappily married:u00a0 A picture of Kavita (name changed) and Pradeep
from the time of their wedding. Pic/Mid Day

The lecturer with a renowned institute in south Delhi was allegedly frequently assaulted and tortured by her husband because he was jealous of her accomplishments, including proficiency in English.
Kavtia is a gold medallist in Master of Fine Arts from Jamia Millia Islamia University. Her troubles began when her husband noticed her talking to someone in fluent English.

The bitter half!
"I was working with an institute as a lecturer but my husband Pradeep started taunting me. He used to beat me up over petty issues and would say that he she should not have married an educated girl,' said Kavita. She claimed she had done everything to be a good wife but her husband was unrepentant.

"Once he noticed that I look smart wearing spectacles and he bought a pair for himself. I used to prepare my hubby for his interviews. He was jealous of me and after sometime he joined an English Speaking class. But for this too he had to seek my help. When he came to know that I know how to drive he said he too wanted to learn," she added.

Unwanted spouse
Kavita said that apart from her education her husband also beat her up as she was not giving in to his dowry demands. "My husband asked me to bring Rs 5 lakh cash from my father but I refused. He then asked me to sing on divorce papers and to leave the house. He said that he will then marry a girl equal to him in education. I was beaten black and blue each time I suggested anything to him," she alleged.

Kavita said that Pradeep and her parents would time and again ask her to sign on divorce papers but she refused every time.

"In April this year, my husband beat me up, and he and his parents poured kerosene on me. I rushed out and called the PCR. After this I lodged a complaint with the Crime Against Women (CAW) cell of Delhi government," alleged Kavita.u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0u00a0

'Unfair cops'
She claimed that during counselling she was pressurised by police officials to settle matters with her husband. "Officials of CAW tried to mislead me. During counselling they advised me to divorce my husband. I could not understand why they were favouring him," she told MiD DAY.

Kavita married Pradeep Yadav, a resident of Kilokari village in south Delhi's Maharani Bagh area, around two and a half years ago. According to Kavita the first few months of her marriage were happy ones.u00a0 "I was told that my husband Pradeep is an engineer but I came to know that he was not even a graduate," she said.

When approached by MiD DAY, Vikram Yadav, a relative of Pradeep, said that Pradeep was away from home and refused to speak any further. Meanwhile, a woman official of CAW cell said that she did not wish to reveal anything regarding the case.

80%
Of divorced or separated woman live below the poverty line in India

Dowry killing

A Delhi court has sentenced a woman and her two sons to life imprisonment for burning alive her daughter-in-law for bringing insufficient dowry. The court gave its order in the case which dates back to March 2004, when victim Seema, married to Nangloi resident Vicky two years earlier, had been set ablaze by her in-laws at their West Delhi residence.
In her dying declarations, Seema had maintained that she had been set ablaze by her mother-in-law, husband and his brother for bringing insufficient dowry. A day after the fateful incident, Seema had told the executive magistrate from her death bed in the hospital that all three were party to the brutal act of burning her. She had said that after being set ablaze, she rushed out of the house, where neighbours put off the blaze and took her to hospital. She succumbed to her injuries on March 11.

Hot stuff

"Stop becoming a victim, the solution is mirchi jhonk - a short burst of red chilli spray!" This is the slogan of the Red Chilli campaign launched by a group of medicos in the capital to teach simple methods of self-defence to the capital's women. Worried over the increasing rate of crime against women in the city, the group which calls itself 'mirchi jhonk' launched the campaign in August this year but it has become active last month. Women are given some simple tips of self- defence - carry a pack of red chillies or pepper in the hand bag and blind an assailant, always walk on pavements facing the traffic and not along with it, keep all important phone numbers, including that of police, on emergency dial. The group has a dedicated team of self-defence trainers, counsellors who train women in the art of self-protection. They have conducted some training camps in Delhi schools and colleges. The group also runs a helpline, 60606161, that women can call in case of any emergency. And so far, the helpline has received over 150 calls on issues ranging from eve teasing, stalking and molestation to domestic violence.u00a0 They will soon launch a cab service exclusively for women - to be driven by women drivers only. They are also planning to conduct some events like awareness walks, fashion shows and kite flying competitions to spread awareness about safety of women in the city.

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