In a shocking incident, a woman narrowly escaped a life-threatening assault by her husband on a Vadodara highway, following a dispute over dowry. The husband, a resident of Saubhagya Residency in Bharuch, reportedly attacked his wife with a knife and attempted to strangle her during their car journey. The woman was able to escape and sought refuge at a nearby petrol pump.
Anita, originally from Nashik, Maharashtra, married Deepak Mohan Patel of Bharuch only three months ago. She lodged a complaint at the Varana police station, recounting the horrific incident.
According to her report, Deepak started demanding money from her brother, Prakash Kachara Sadgir, also based in Nashik, under the guise of dowry, within a month after their wedding. Initially, Deepak asked for 25,000 rupees, which she reluctantly arranged. However, when he demanded another 50,000 rupees during a family event in Vadodara, Anita refused, leading to threats of physical violence from Deepak.
The incident occurred on June 4th, after the couple attended a house-warming ceremony, or Vastu Pujan, for Anita's cousin's new home in Vadodara. On their return journey to Bharuch, the couple had a heated argument over the dowry, during which Deepak assaulted Anita in the moving car and tried to strangle her.
When Anita managed to escape from the car, Deepak pursued her, knocking her to the ground and attempting again to strangle her. Anita eventually managed to flee from her husband, finding safety at a nearby petrol pump, where an attendant hid her behind a tire stack.
Her husband searched for a while before abandoning the scene in their car. After the harrowing ordeal, Anita was able to contact her brother and seek his assistance. This distressing episode reveals the continuing issue of dowry disputes and related violence, underscoring the need for societal reform and legal enforcement.
