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Broker strips, throws out wife
A Kolkata-based broker was on Sunday arrested for allegedly stripping his wife and throwing her out as her parents refused to shell out the Rs 1 crore he demanded as dowry. Soumen Datta reports.
A Kolkata-based broker was on Sunday arrested for allegedly stripping his wife and throwing her out as her parents refused to shell out the Rs 1 crore he demanded as dowry.
Dipak Agarwal, 32, owner of a share broking firm in Kolkata’s central business district, recently suffered losses on the stock market.
Ever since they got married in July 2007, police said, Dipak began torturing his wife Megha. He began making harassing Megha when his broker father-in-law Pradip Garg did not give in to his demands.
At the time of the wedding, Pradip allegedly gave Dipak Rs 10 lakh cash and jewellery worth Rs 25 lakh. After, three months, police said, Dipak and his parents began torturing Megha by demanding Rs 1 crore.
Megha’s father spoke to Dipak and his parents about the harassment a number of times but the torture did not stop. “They used to beat her up. Dipak terminated the maid’s services and forced her to do all the household work”, said Swadhin Sarkar, officer-in-charge, Kalighat police station.
On June 19, Dipak allegedly beat Megha, stripped off her clothes and jewellery and threw her out of his third-floor flat. A traumatised Megha began to cry and threw up.
After the neighbours informed them, the police reached her flat and a woman officer recorded Megha’s statement. A servant, driver and security guard told the police that Dipak used to torture his wife. They also narrated how she was thrown out without a stitch on her body.
Dipak had been absconding since the incident. The police on Sunday raided his flat again and arrested Dipak on charges of torturing his wife for dowry. His parents are in Rajasthan.
“As soon as they return they will also be arrested,” said Sarkar. Dipak was produced before a court and remanded to police custody till August 3.
