Pregnant Woman's Head Shaved, Her Hands Burned in Hot Water by In-Laws in Kalyan; Know the Reason Here
The Mahatma Phule Chowk police in Kalyan, Thane district, arrested a man and three family members for torturing his 26-year-old pregnant wife over dowry demands. The in-laws allegedly starved the victim, burned her hands with hot water, and forcibly shaved her head. The accused face charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police authorities in Maharashtra’s Thane district have arrested a man and three members of his immediate family for allegedly subjecting his 26-year-old pregnant wife to severe physical torture, including forcibly shaving her head, following disputes over a dowry. The arrests were executed on Tuesday, June 16, by personnel attached to the Mahatma Phule Chowk police station in Kalyan. According to police officials, the institutional crackdown occurred immediately after the victim managed to flee the household and secure medical attention.
The law enforcement agency has registered a formal criminal case against the four accused under the relevant anti-harassment provisions of the country's penal code. Thane Court Rejects 'Compromise' Affidavit by Survivor in Rape Case; Know Why Accused's Bail Was Denied.
Patterns of Physical Abuse and Surveillance
The victim married the primary accused in 2025 and subsequently moved into the family's residence located in the Waldhuni pocket of Kalyan. Investigators stated that shortly after the marriage, the woman's in-laws initiated a systematic pattern of physical assaults and starvation to pressure her family into delivering additional dowry assets. The nature of the alleged abuse escalated severely after the woman became pregnant. Speaking on the operational details of the investigation, Senior Inspector Baliram Pardeshi of the Mahatma Phule Chowk police station confirmed that the in-laws subjected the victim to targeted physical harm.
"The in-laws allegedly burned her hands in hot water and also forcibly cut off her hair," Senior Inspector Pardeshi stated during a media briefing on Wednesday.
Escape, Hospitalisation, and Legal Remand
Fearing for her immediate safety and the survival of her unborn child, the victim successfully escaped the Waldhuni residence. She sought refuge at a relative's house in the neighbouring city of Ulhasnagar, where family members quickly arranged for her admission into a local hospital to treat her physical injuries. Following a detailed statement collection process conducted by the police at the medical facility, law enforcement teams moved swiftly to apprehend the suspects. The arrested individuals include the victim's husband, her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law, and the elder sister of her mother-in-law. Thane Shocker: Suspecting Wife's Infidelity, Man Stabs Her to Death With Knife in Maharashtra's Varap; Later Injures Himself.
The four accused have been formally booked under the statutory sections governing dowry-related cruelty and harassment under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). All four individuals remain in police custody while local investigative units gather additional forensic and medical evidence to submit before the jurisdictional court.
Women and Child Helpline Numbers:
Childline India – 1098; Missing Child and Women – 1094; Women’s Helpline – 181; National Commission for Women Helpline – 112; National Commission for Women Helpline Against Violence – 7827170170; Police Women and Senior Citizen Helpline – 1091/1291.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 17, 2026 03:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).