Orissa: Man injects wife with HIV for failing to pay dowry

January 29, 2003

Man injects wife with HIV for failing to pay dowry

Indo-Asian News ServiceBhubaneswar, January 20

A woman from Orissa has claimed that she was injected with HIV by her

husband when she failed to meet his dowry demands.Rajani married

school teacher Venkataramana of Hatmunigada village in Rayagada

district of Orissa twelve years ago. " My husband had been torturing me

mentally and physically since our marriage, " Rajani alleged in a

petition to the district collector. " He was harassing me in the

presence of our son who is now eight-years-old. " " He even kept sending

me back to my parents saying I should not come back without dowry in

cash and kind, " a district administrative official quoted her as

saying. " I petitioned the women's cell of the district as well as the

police.

He (my husband) took me back but continued the torture, " she

said. " One day in 2001, my husband blindfolded me and forcibly gave me

an injection. Since then I have continuously suffered from ailments,

as a result of which he threw me out of the house, " she said. " My

brother took me to Visakhapatnam for treatment where I was found HIV-

affected, " she told the district collector in her petition. " I was

admitted to a Visakhapatnam hospital in October where I underwent

treatment for two months.

When the medical officials found my condition serious they discharged

me from the hospital, " she said. " Meanwhile, my husband has married

another girl, " Rajani said.A police official said the matter had been

taken note of. " We have taken serious note of the matter and have

started investigations into the allegation. If we find evidence, we

will launch criminal proceedings against him, " the police official

told IANS on phone.The district administration has assured Rajani

that it will bear her medical expenses.

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