‘Was not allowed to breastfeed her own babies’: Dehradun woman locked in toilet for 10 months, tortured by in-laws after birth of twins

DEHRADUN: In a shocking case of domestic violence in Dehradun’s Selaqui area, a 32-year-old married woman was allegedly locked in a toilet for 10 months and brutally assaulted by in-laws including attacks on her privates with bottles and sticks after a year of her marriage to a teacher posted in a Kendriya Vidyalaya (KV) in Delhi.

The horrific case came to light after the woman’s father, a retired havildar in the Army with a service of 33 years, lodged a complaint at the police on Monday evening after rescuing his daughter from her in-laws’ place on May 26.

Speaking to TOI, the father alleged that his daughter’s “inhuman treatment started soon after she gave birth to twins in Feb last year”.

TOI has withheld the identities of the woman and her family due to sensitivity of the case.

“My daughter was married in 2024 to a KV teacher who was the only child of his parents. It was an arranged marriage via a mediator. Initially, after seeing the family, we thought it’s a good one. That thought shattered after a few months of the marriage as my daughter’s mother-in-law started harassing her for unknown reasons,” he said.

The ex-serviceman further alleged, “During her pregnancy, she was at our place. After she delivered the babies, her in-laws came only once that too on the condition that the twins be handed over to them. A few days later, she and the infants went to their place. And then her ordeal began. My daughter was separated from her newborns and wasn’t even allowed to breastfeed them. She was then locked in a room and sometimes in the toilet from July 2025 to May 2026 under terrible conditions.”

Sharing more details about the horror, the woman’s mother told TOI that during this entire period of confinement, she was fed only plain rice with onion, green chilli and salt.

Unable to speak to their daughter, the family decided to go to her in-laws’ place on May 26 in Selaqui.

“We reached there after being assisted by the village head. They initially didn’t let us see her, saying that she is fine. But after much effort when we entered inside, our hearts were shattered. They had beaten her with sticks, pipes and every other item they could lay their hands on. They also pulled her hair, leaving her scalp bare on several spots,” the mother added.

She further alleged that her husband too joined his parents in assaulting his wife whenever he came home from Delhi. She also alleged that when they confronted her in-laws on her condition, her father-in-law told her that “he had clicked her objectionable photographs while assaulting her”.

TOI contacted the woman’s husband and her mother-in-law for comments, but to no reply.

Meanwhile, acting on the complaint, police have registered an FIR against the woman’s husband and his parents under BNS sections 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 127 (4) (wrongful confinement), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) and 352 (intentional insults).

Circle officer (Sahaspur), Anuj Kumar, told TOI: “After registering the FIR, police have started an investigation to examine the allegations. Prima facie, we have found injury marks on the woman. We are waiting for a detailed medical examination report after which further legal action will be taken against the accused.”