In-laws torture woman over sex test of unborn child, held

A 28-year-old woman of Bally has lodged a police complaint against her in-laws for torturing her to undergo the sex determination test of her unborn child.

A five-member team of the state Women's Commission led by chairman Sunanda Mukherjee today met the eight-month pregnant woman, Ranjana Prasad, who had lodged the complaint last week.

Mukherjee said the police have charged Ranjana's father-in-law Govinda, mother-in-law Savitri and brother-in-law Ram Jatan Prasad under the bailable section 498A (atrocities against women) of the Indian Penal Code and they have been remanded in judicial custody for eight days.

According to the Commission, Ranjana's husband Rabindra Prasad is in support of her refusal to undergo the sex determination test. Police are on the lookout for Ranjana's sister-in-law Kalyani Gupta, who is absconding since the complaint was lodged.

Mukherjee said they have urged the police to book them under non-bailable section of 318 IPC, which is attempt to murder of the foetus.

The commission members confirmed that this was the first official case lodged regarding torture by in-laws over sex determination of an unborn child.

Ranjana married Ravindra Prasad in January 2008. The couple had their first child — a girl - in April 2009. When she reportedly conceived the next time in 2010, her in-laws allegedly forced her to undergo a pre-natal diagnostic test to find out if she was carrying a male child. When the test revealed otherwise, she was forced to undergo an abortion in October 2010.

Ranjana conceived again eight months ago. This time, too, her in-laws allegedly started torturing her after she refused to go for the sex determination test. Last Tuesday, she was allegedly assaulted in the absence of her husband. Shaw, the victim's brother, said her in-laws kicked her in her chest and abdomen. When her husband returned home at night, he found Ranjana writhing in pain. He admitted her to TS Jaiswal Hospital.

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