Lance Havildar Rishikesh. Telegraph picture

Patna, July 5: A soldier in the Indian Army, discharging his duties in the coldest inhabited place in India— Dras, Kargil, located at a height of 3230m — is fed up with an unending conflict on the family front.

Lance Havildar Rishikesh today showed up at the janata darbar of deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, pleading for early disposal of a dowry case, lodged against him by his wife around 10 months ago.

“My wife has tainted my immaculate service record by making a false allegation against my family and me. I gave her all the love, care and affection after our marriage but she only gave me mental trauma. Even though I was regularly sending her Rs 5,000 per month as family allotment, she filed an FIR of dowry extortion against my family members and me at Hajipur police station on September 3, 2010. The case has been pending for the past 10 months. I am under continuous mental stress and am finding it difficult to discharge my duties with full concentration,” Rishikesh said at the darbar.

The complainant, a native of Saran district in Bihar, is at present serving with the 106 Medium Regiment of 49 Rashtriya Rifles at Dras.

He got married to Supriya, a native of Vaishali district on May 2, 2008.

“My wife stayed with me for a month after the marriage and later went back to her parents’ house. I was posted at Mathura then, and I continuously requested her to join me there. She kept lying that I am abusing her. Later, on January 22, 2009, after a counselling session by unit commander at Mathura, she agreed on a non-judicial stamp paper to stay with me in peace. However, in April 2009, my unit moved to field location at Jammu and Kashmir, where no personnel is allowed to keep his family. My wife went back to her parents’ house, defying my request to stay with my parents,” said Rishikesh.

Later, the couple were blessed with a girl child — Vaishnavi — on January 15, 2010.

Rishikesh claimed that the daughter is at present with his wife, even though he wants to keep the child with him.

After his wife filed an FIR under Indian Penal Code Section 498 (A), Rishikesh filed a divorce appeal in the February this year, which too is pending.

Rishikesh also produced a letter dated October 9, 2010, by the Major Adjutant for commanding officer of his unit, stating all the earlier disputes between the couple and requesting the receiver to take needful action to protect Havilder Rishikesh from false charges as he is a sincere, honest and disciplined soldier and not a greedy individual. The letter is addressed to the office of the director-general of police, Bihar, deputy inspector-general, Chapra, district magistrate, Hajipur, and other authorities.

Rishikesh also approached the National Human Rights Commission and the National Commission for Women before approaching Modi today.

“When something happens to woman, everyone stands for her. Why is that when a woman is harassing a man, no one seems to be bothered?” asked the havildar.

Modi assured him that he would send a letter to the department concerned about his complaint.