A 24-year-old woman from Chervali village is on a hunger strike in front of the police station in Shahapur, protesting against police inaction on her complaints of dowry demands by her fiancé and his parents. Almost 12 hours later, deputy superintendent of police assured her that the FIR would be registered.

Dowry demand

Kavita Farde's would be in-laws allegedly asked for dowry after her engagement, and when her family refused to pay it, they called off the wedding. After Farde completed her MA D.Ed, her family arranged her marriage with Pravin Harad, from Virar, who works in a private firm. Farde said, "We were engaged on March 10. A few days after the engagement, they started ignoring my parents and my calls. Then they demanded dowry. They asked my father to pay them Rs 4 lakh, and gift a bus to their son, so he could start a business. My father said he could not do so. They asked him not to call them again."