Denied Food and Treatment: Court Marriage Ends In Dowry Harassment Allegations in Ahmedabad

A 19-year-old woman has accused her husband and in-laws of allegedly subjecting her to physical and mental cruelty and demanding money and valuables following their court marriage earlier this year, prompting Bapunagar police to register a case.

The complainant, Mohiniben Gehlot, a resident of Bapunagar, alleged that she was repeatedly harassed by her husband, Lalu Singh Jodh Singh Gehlot, and his family after their marriage.

Couple Married In Surat

According to the complaint, the couple solemnised their marriage through a court marriage in Surat on January 9, 2026, which was subsequently registered with the Surat Municipal Corporation.

The woman said that after spending around a month travelling with her husband, she moved to her matrimonial home in Bhinmal in Rajasthan's Jalore district.

She alleged that the family initially treated her well, but that her husband, mother-in-law Indira Devi, father-in-law Jodh Singh Govind Singh Gehlot and sister-in-law Khushbu Jaipal Singh Rajput later began allegedly subjecting her to physical and mental harassment.

Woman Alleges Dowry Demands

Mohiniben alleged that her in-laws taunted her for not bringing sufficient gifts, jewellery or dowry from her parental home and repeatedly pressured her to seek money from her father.

She further alleged that she was denied food on several occasions and that her husband did not arrange medical treatment when she fell ill. According to her complaint, her father subsequently sent money through a digital payment to cover the cost of her medicines.

The woman also alleged that her husband retained her personal documents, including bank passbooks and other important records, and refused to return them despite repeated requests.

Counselling Notices Allegedly Ignored

The complainant returned to her parental home in Ahmedabad on March 14 after informing her father about the alleged harassment.

Her family subsequently attempted to resolve the dispute and contacted her husband, but the matter remained unresolved.

The woman later approached Bapunagar Police Station seeking legal action. Police reportedly issued counselling notices to her husband and in-laws on June 12, June 18 and June 26, directing them to appear before the authorities. However, they allegedly failed to attend the counselling sessions.

Police Begin Investigation

Following the complaint, Bapunagar police registered a case under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) concerning alleged cruelty by a husband or his relatives and dowry-related harassment.

Police said the allegations are being investigated and statements of witnesses will be recorded before further legal action is taken.