Dehradun woman locked in toilet, tortured by in-laws for a year; parents free her

For nearly a year, her husband and in-laws locked her in a toilet, giving her barely any food, torturing her with iron rods and whips and cutting her off from not just her family but also her newborn twins.

Sakshi's plight came to light earlier this week when her father managed to access her home in Bhauwala Sainik Colony here and rescued her with the help of the pradhan and panchayat representatives, police said.

Following a complaint lodged by Sakshi's father, Sanjeev Bahuguna, the Selakui police filed an FIR on Monday.

According to the complaint, Sakshi's confinement began in July 2025, months after she gave birth to twins in February. From the day of their birth, her children were taken away from her by her husband, Rahul Khandudi, and her parents-in-law. She was denied even the touch or hold of her infants.

Her father told the police that Sakshi was locked up from 9 am or 10 am every day and kept confined through the day and night. During these 10 months, she starved and was given only raw rice, an onion, salt, and a green chilli to eat.

Bahuguna alleged that his daughter was beaten with iron pipes, rods, chairs, and whips, leaving her with severe injuries across her body.

The father alleged that the family was completely cut off from Sakshi for 10 months, as the accused refused to let them meet her or speak to her over the phone. Whenever her parents called, her mother-in-law misled them by claiming Sakshi was either sleeping or bathing.

According to the FIR, the situation came to light when her parents visited the house. They were initially denied entry by the in-laws, who demanded another 15 days and told them they were "wrecking their daughter's marriage".

The parents subsequently rescued Sakshi with the assistance and supervision of the Bhauwala village pradhan and panchayat members. Upon her release, Sakshi was highly disoriented and unable to recall the day, month or year.

The police have booked Rahul Khandudi and his parents under sections 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 127(4) (wrongful confinement), 351(2) (criminal intimidation), and 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

A case has been registered under relevant sections after the police received a complaint from the victim's father, the investigating officer, Shashi Rana, said.

The victim's statements are to be recorded, and further action will be taken accordingly, the officer added.