Judicial remand for elderly woman in cruelty case

Sandeep Rana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 10

A retired government schoolteacher, who is in her seventies and walks with the help of a stick, would never have thought that in the twilight years, she would have to see Burail Jail. 

Sector 19 resident Usha Sharma was today remanded in 14-day judicial custody by a local court in a case of cruelty with her NRI daughter-in-law Kanika. Her NRI son Kanish Awasthi, also an accused in the case, did not join investigation. The accused woman’s husband is already dead.

The septuagenarian accused was arrested by the women cell of the Chandigarh Police yesterday from Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, after a lookout circular was issued against her. She was flying back from Australia at that time.  

“Usha and her son had not joined the investigation even though the case against them was registered in November-December last year. Thus, we had issued a lookout circular against her while her son is still abroad and has not joined the probe,” said a police official. According to the police, the mother-son duo was booked under Sections 406 (criminal breach of trust) and 498-A (husband or relative subjecting his wife to cruelty) of the IPC here. 

According to a complaint lodged by Kanika’s father with the police, after marriage, her in-laws would allegedly beat and harass her. Kanish moved to Australia and later his wife also settled there with him. It was further alleged in the plaint that Usha also shifted there and Kanika was subjected to cruelty. Thus, a similar complaint was filed in Australia too.