Surat: A simple sweet, Gulab Jamun — missing from the wedding menu has escalated into a serious case of dowry harassment and marital cruelty after a 28-year-old Surat woman filed a complaint with Salabatpura police, accusing her husband and his relatives of persistent abuse.The complaint names her husband, his father, and his uncle, all residents of Viramgam—as the accused. She alleged that the trio demanded Rs 10 lakh in cash and 116.6g of gold, and harassed her over not including ‘Gulab Jamun’ in the wedding menu.According to the woman, a graduate, she married her husband in Dec 2023. After spending 10 days at an NRI relative’s home in Bharuch, the couple moved to Viramgam. Soon after, she claimed, the accused began taunting her over the missing dessert and pressed for additional dowry. She also alleged that her husband harassed her over the phone while on a trip to Goa.The woman further alleged that her father-in-law and his younger brother sexually harassed her at home. The complaint states that the father-in-law kissed her, while the younger brother allegedly exposed himself and made sexually suggestive remarks.When she confronted her husband about the harassment, he allegedly dismissed her claims and threatened to kill her if she did not meet the dowry demands. In Feb 2024, she returned to her father’s home in Surat. Despite continued threats and calls from the accused, they did not attempt to retrieve her.The victim finally approached police, filing a complaint under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
