Sonepur/Balangir, Jan. 7: Women activists from Balangir and Subarnapur districts severely criticised the Sonepur police for “showing undue favour” to the accused in a case in which a married woman was tied up and sent to her father’s home as her family members had not met her in-laws' dowry demands.

They alleged that though police had arrested five persons in connection with the case after much public pressure, the main accused was still at large.

On Wednesday, the in-laws of Shantilata Kheti of Khemaloe village in Ulunda police limits tied her up, put her in a van and sent her to father’s house in Radhiapali village, which falls in the Birmaharajpur police limits.

The Birmaharajpur police had registered a case against nine persons including the father-in-law, two brothers-in-law, three sisters-in-law, two villagers and the driver of the van under Sections 498 (A), 342, 354, 506 and 34 of the Indian penal Code and Section 4 of the dowry prevention act.

The case has been transferred to Ulunda police station as the incident took place in Khemaloe village.

Samima Begum, general secretary of a Sonepur-based voluntary organisation, said that they had sent a fact-finding team to the village to learn about the incident.

“These kind of incidents have been happening with regularity in this part of the state, especially in rural areas. But they do’nt get much attention because of lack of awareness among the villagers,” Samima said.

Minakshee Purohit of a Balangir-based organisation said the police were displaying a cavalier attitude.

“This is a case of human rights violation. Police have arrested some persons only after pressure. Yet the main accused has not been nabbed. Police seem to be showing undue favour to the accused,” she said.

The superintendent of police, Subarnapur district, Sanjay Kaushal, admitted that it was a sensitive case.

“We are doing our best to arrest the accused. Five persons, including the woman’s father-in-law, have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody. But one of the brothers-in-law is absconding,” Kaushal said.

The arrested persons are father-in-law Achyut Kheti, brother-in-law Biswanath Kheti, villagers Balaram Karna and Susanta Acharya and van driver Arjun Jal. The main accused, Dileswar Kheti, however, is still at large.