'Shaved head, starved': Maharashtra pregnant woman alleges physical torture over dowry by husband’s family

KALYAN: In a shocking case of alleged dowry harassment, a woman from Kalyan has accused her husband and in-laws of forcibly shaving her head, physically assaulting her and subjecting her to prolonged mental and physical abuse after her family failed to meet their demands.The victim is currently undergoing treatment at the Central Hospital in Ulhasnagar, while police have registered a case against her husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law and aunt-in-law, and have launched an investigation.According to police, the victim, Afsana Ansari, a resident of Ulhasnagar, married Sameer Ansari, a resident of the Valdhuni area in Kalyan, in November 2025. Her family alleged that they had informed the groom’s family before the marriage about their financial limitations and inability to provide dowry.

However, soon after the wedding, Afsana was allegedly subjected to repeated demands for money and other valuables.The woman alleged that she was regularly assaulted by her husband and in-laws and was denied adequate food even during her pregnancy. She further claimed that her hands were burnt with hot water and that she was not given money for basic day-to-day expenses.In her complaint, Afsana alleged that on June 7, her in-laws forcibly shaved her head on the pretext that she had lice in her hair.

She accused her husband, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and aunt-in-law of participating in the act. Following the incident, she was allegedly confined to a room for nearly a week and subjected to further harassment.Police said the woman later managed to leave her matrimonial home and reached her sister’s residence, where she narrated the ordeal to her family members. She was subsequently admitted to the Central Hospital in Ulhasnagar for treatment.The victim’s family has demanded strict action against the accused and appealed to the state government to ensure justice in the case.Senior Police Inspector Baliram Pardeshi of Mahatma Phule Police Station said that police recorded the woman’s statement at the hospital after receiving information about her admission.“According to the complaint, the husband, mother-in-law, father-in-law, sister-in-law and aunt-in-law had allegedly been demanding money and other items since the marriage. The woman’s hair was allegedly cut on June 7 after family members claimed that it could affect the baby’s breathing. Following the incident, she became mentally distressed,” Pardeshi said.Based on the complaint, police have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, including Sections 85, 115(2), 352 and 3(5), against the accused. Further investigation is underway.