EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE Posted online: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 at 0457 hours IST
DECEMBER 20: When 25-year-old Radhika Batra was married off to hotelier Bipin Mookhey (30) four years ago, her parents pulled out all the stops.
After a lavish ceremony, they sent her off with jewellery worth Rs 92 lakh.
But Radhika says it wasn’t enough for Bipin, cousin of former Miss Universe Yukta Mookhey, and his family.
Last Friday, Radhika filed a First Information Report with the Mulund police, accusing Bipin, his parents and his brother of repeatedly demanding Rs 10 lakh in dowry from her father, Colaba-based hotelier Raju Batra.
Since the demand couldn’t be fulfilled, says the complaint, she was tortured both mentally and physically by Bipin and his family.
On Saturday, the police arrested Bipin, his parents—Kishanlal (58) and Kusum (52)—and brother Tarun (28), charging them under Sections 324 (demanding dowry) and 498 (a) (harassment) of the Indian Penal Code.
Remanded to police custody for four days, they will be produced before a magistrate’s court on Tuesday.
Radhika says her nightmare started about a year after she got married.
‘‘Her in-laws allegedly began pressurising her father for the money in March 2002. In this period, there were also attempts to broker a compromise, but nothing worked,’’ says Deputy Commissioner of Police Dilip Bhujbal.
Radhika and Bipin have a three-year-old son, Shubham.
Police say they are now concentrating on gathering corroborative evidence to verify Radhika’s charges.
They will also try to recover the jewellery and other gifts that Radhika’s parents gave her at the time of her marriage.
