Husband, mother-in-law set Odisha woman ablaze over dowry, arrested

A farmer and his 65-year-old mother were arrested for allegedly setting ablaze his four months' pregnant wife over dowry in Odisha's Ganjam district, police said.

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The incident happened at Debabhumi on October 31 and the arrest was made on Sunday on the basis of a complaint, lodged by the woman's widowed mother, the Aska police station Inspector In-Charge Prasant Kumar Sahoo said. The accused were identified as Tukuna Choudhury (40), a farmer, and his mother Uma. Mamali (25), the victim, has been battling for life with 80 to 90 per cent burns at MKCG Medical College and Hospital here, while her foetus did not survive, police said.

In her complaint, the woman's mother Kuni Patra said that Mamali had married Tukuna two years ago and Rs 40,000 cash along with some gold ornaments had been given to her in-laws.

She also alleged that they had demanded Rs 80,000 more and tortured her daughter. Patra said she got a call from a neighbour of her daughter on October 29 about the torture and the next day, she had gone to take her daughter back but was prevented from doing so by Tukuna and his mother. Police said the accused poured kerosene on woman and she was set on fire on October 31.

"As I was present in the village, I took her to MKCG Medical College and Hospital," said the victim's mother who lodged the complaint on the same day. A case of dowry torture has been registered against the woman's husband and his mother, the police said adding that the investigation is in progress.

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