April 12, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 5, 1429

HYDERABAD, April 11: The in-laws of a woman cut her hair on charges of her ‘objectionable activity’ in their home in Tando Hyder area in presence of her husband within the jurisdiction of Husri police station late on Thursday night.

Police recovered a young woman Shabana from her husband’s house after her mother approached them.

A case was registered with the Husri police under sections 341, 342, 343, 504, 337A(i), 337ZF(i), 34 PPC on the compliant of woman’s maternal uncle, Razzaq Bhatti. Her husband Ishtiaq and his father Sardar Gill have been arrested by police, SHO Husri confirmed.

Haleema 65, the mother of Shabana approached Hyderabad police through media personnel that her daughter was being held in wrongful confinement and subjected to torture by her in laws. Police raided the home located at Tando Hyder near Wazir Barracks. Police recovered Shabana and arrested her husband Ishtiaq, a kiln worker, his father Sardar Gill and two children of the couple.

Shabana told police in her statement that she was married to Ishtiaq under custom of vatta satta as his sister Parveen was married to her brother, Akbar. “Ishtiaq used to beat me off and on without any rhyme or reason”, she said while narrating her ordeal. She said that four days back she was accused of having called one of her relatives, Jabbar at her home and that too in presence of her husband. She said that area’s munshi spotted Jabbar entering Ishtiaq’s home and he informed him.

“Then my sister-in-law, Abida cut my hair with a knife and blackened my face. I was then subjected to torture by Ishtiaq, his father, Abida and uncle Haneef”, she said. She said that subsequently her mother was called who implored that her daughter should be allowed to accompany her but they refused. “My mother then brought Ishtiaq’s sister Parveen to request my in laws to let me go but in vain”, she said.

Then, she said, the matter was decided by elders of the community, including Mohammad Hussain and Ms. Khursheed. The meeting decided that Jabbar’s 7-year-old sister would be married to Accho, the son of Ishtiaq’s brother Yunus.

“Can anyone ask that when I had been meeting Jabbar in his presence why did he let him go?”, she asked. She said that she doesn’t want to live with her husband and demanded divorce from him even if he didn’t allow her sons to go with her.

On the other hand Ishtiaq told police that Jabbar used to visit his house in his absence and on Sunday’s night Shabana gave some intoxicant in tea and all family members fell unconscious.

“Then my wife called Jabbar in the house. But munshi of the area informed my mother that someone had entered their house. My mother then woke me up”, he claimed. He said that Jabbar was found behind a chaddar but munshi took him away from his house. He said when elders of the community heard the matter, Jabbar’s father conceded mistake of his son. “He then promised to marry his seven year old daughter to Ishtiaq’s nephew when she would grow up”, he said.