By Diana George,Hiten Vithalani

Copyright timesnownews

In a shocking case of domestic violence, a 28-year-old mother of two in Gerita village, Mehsana’s Vijapur, was allegedly forced to dip her hand in boiling oil to prove her fidelity. The incident, which took place on September 16, was reportedly orchestrated by her husband’s sister and carried out with the help of his brothers. According to the victim, who is being treated for severe burns on her arm and leg, the abuse stemmed from ongoing suspicion and harassment. In her complaint, the farm worker stated that her sister-in-law “suspected her fidelity” and frequently subjected her to relentless taunts and abuses. The FIR detailed that the sister-in-law, with the other two accused, “hatched a plan to test her fidelity.” They allegedly heated oil in a vessel and commanded the woman to dip her hand into it to prove she was pure. “I was beaten for refusing, pushed towards the stove in a way that my hand fell into the boiling oil,” the woman, married for 13 years, told police. Her screams did not halt the assault. The sister-in-law allegedly picked up the vessel and poured hot oil on the victim’s right leg. “She threatened to kill me if I screamed,” the victim added in her complaint. Neighbours and the woman’s father rushed to the house after hearing her cries and took her to a private hospital, where she is undergoing treatment for her burns. The victim told police that the harassment and abuses had escalated over the past several months. Vijapur police have booked the sister-in-law and her brothers for assault, criminal intimidation, and voluntarily causing grievous hurt under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. “We are recording statements of the victim and other witnesses. Action will be taken against all the accused,” a Vijapur police officer said, underlining that the investigation is ongoing.