A court in Saharanpur in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state has directed local police to file a criminal complaint against the in-laws of a 30-year-old woman who has accused them of injecting her with an HIV-infected syringe after her parents failed to meet dowry demands.
The incident, which allegedly took place in May 2024 at her in-laws' house in Haridwar, has led to a formal investigation by the police.
Following the court's directions, police have registered an FIR at the Gangoh police station, naming the woman's husband (32), brother-in-law (38), sister-in-law (35), and mother-in-law (56).
The charges against the accused include sections under the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including 307 (attempt to murder), 498A (cruelty against a woman by her husband or relatives), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 328 (causing harm by administering poison), 406 (criminal breach of trust), and relevant dowry-related sections.
Saharanpur SP (rural) Sagar Jain confirmed that an investigation was underway. "We are probing the case thoroughly," he said.
According to the victim's father, his daughter married in February 2023, with the family spending nearly Rs4.5 million on the wedding, which included a sub-compact SUV and Rs1.5 million in cash for the groom's family. However, he claimed the in-laws demanded an additional Rs1 million in cash and a bigger SUV.
Following the wedding, the woman was allegedly subjected to constant harassment by her in-laws. "They humiliated my daughter and even told her they would find another wife for their son. She was kicked out of her marital home on March 25, 2023, and lived with us for three months until a village panchayat intervened," her father said. "After being sent back to her husband's home, she faced more physical and mental torture."
The father further alleged that in May 2024, the woman’s in-laws forcibly injected her with an HIV-infected syringe, which led to her rapid health deterioration. Medical tests later confirmed that she had contracted HIV, though her husband tested negative for the virus.
When the woman's father attempted to lodge a complaint at the Gangoh police station, he claimed that the station house officer (SHO), Rogent Tyagi, advised them to seek higher authorities' approval first.
Despite approaching Saharanpur SSP Rohit Singh Sajwan, the family alleged that their complaint was ignored, prompting them to turn to the court for justice.
In response to the allegations, SHO Tyagi denied the accusations when contacted.
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