Ahmedabad woman accuses NRI husband, in-laws of sustained cruelty, FIR registered

A 38-year-old woman from Navrangpura has lodged an FIR accusing her NRI husband and in-laws of sustained physical, mental and economic cruelty in India and Australia. Police at the Mahila Police Station have begun recording statements.

The complainant, Rachna Sharma, stated that she met Vikas Sharma, a resident of Noida and Australia, through a matrimonial website in 2022. Both were divorcees and married on June 20, 2022, with her father bearing all wedding expenses. After the marriage, she moved to Vikas’s family home in Noida with her jewellery and personal belongings.

According to the FIR, Rachna’s in-laws began taunting her within days, criticising her cooking and household work. When Vikas returned to Australia on July 4, 2022, she briefly stayed with his parents before returning to Ahmedabad for visa formalities. In November 2022, after obtaining a visitor visa, she travelled to Brisbane, where her husband was residing.

Rachna alleged that Vikas told her his parents were his ‘priority’, refusing to spend money on her, and declined to maintain a physical relationship. He allegedly pressured her to transfer her savings to his Australian bank account. Her in-laws, she said, pushed her to find work and contribute her entire salary towards household expenses. She accused Vikas of restricting her communication with her parents and slapping her twice. She also alleged physical assault after confronting him over messages exchanged with a former girlfriend.

The FIR states that in February 2023, despite being mentally stable, she was taken to a psychiatrist and coerced into taking antidepressants for two days. A month later, Vikas allegedly insisted she return to India, threatening to shut his doors if she refused. She flew back on April 1, 2023.

Although she briefly returned to Australia in May, the harassment allegedly continued. Attempts at reconciliation failed, and Vikas later asked her for a divorce.

Police have booked Vikas Sharma and his parents, Sudha and Yogendra Sharma, for cruelty and harassment. A senior officer said the investigation will verify events in both India and Australia.