Raiganj, Feb. 16: A newly-married girl was today rescued from her husband and in-laws by the women of Ukilpara, a village in Raiganj, who then thrashed the culprits and called in the police.
At 11 this morning, a neighbour of Gautam Kundu who had married Jhuma five days ago heard her faintly screaming for help. Quickly alerting the other women of the village, she started knocking on Kundu’s door. By then, a large group of women had gathered outside. They soon broke open the door and dragged out Kundu and his parents.
The 19-year-old girl, who had almost fainted, was taken to a neighbouring house while her husband and in-laws faced the wrath of the group.
Another target of the women folk was the 47-year-old servant with whom Kundu was reportedly having an affair. She was thrashed and made to admit her fault before being handed over to the police along with Kundu.
Jhuma later alleged Kundu and her in-laws had bashed her up several times after the marriage. This morning he had taken her to the maid’s house where she was forcibly made to eat some sweets.
“When I returned home my head started reeling and I realised they wanted to kill me. As I screamed they started beating me. A few minutes later the door broke open and the women saved my life,” said the teenager.
Jhuma’s relatives who had come this morning to take her home for ashtomongola, a Bengali ritual according to which a bride returns to her paternal home for a few days after wedding, were also shooed away by her in-laws.
“The day I came to this house, I had to hand over my gold ornaments to the maid of this house who also sleeps with my husband. Whenever I tried to protest, my in-laws beat me up,” Jhuma said.
Her father-in-law Dhirendranath Kundu, however, denied the charges. “Some vested interests are trying to malign my reputation,” said the senior Kundu.
According to Runu Bose, who lived close to the Kundus, everyone knew about the affair between Kundu and the maid.
The arrested man defended himself from the lock-up saying: “I regarded the maid as a sister. The local residents are simply jealous of it,” said Kundu.
