"He claimed his parents forced him to marry."
A 23-year-old newlywed woman in Madhya Pradesh narrowly escaped death after her husband allegedly tortured her with a heated knife over dowry demands.
The incident occurred in Khargone district, where the victim, Khushboo Pipliya, was brutally assaulted inside her marital home.
According to her statement, her husband, intoxicated at the time, tied her hands and feet before burning her with a hot knife across her torso, arms and legs.
Khushboo said that after their marriage in February 2025, her husband repeatedly told her he did not like her.
She claimed he grew increasingly resentful when dowry demands were not met, which led to the extreme violence on August 24.
She told police that her ordeal began when her husband kicked her in the stomach before dragging her to the kitchen.
He allegedly pressed something resembling a gun on her head before branding her with the heated knife in more than 50 places.
When she cried out in pain, he allegedly inserted the burning blade into her mouth.
Speaking to reporters from her hospital bed, Khushboo alleged: “My husband tied my hands and legs. He heated the knife and branded me.
“He also put what appeared to be a gun to my head.”
Asked about his motive, she said: “He did this because he did not like me. He kept saying I don’t like you; why did you come?
“He claimed his parents forced him to marry.”
Khushboo further alleged that her in-laws were present in the house during the attack but did not intervene.
She said that when she reported the incident to them the next morning, they initially promised to counsel their son, but later accused her of inflicting the injuries on herself.
Her escape came around 4:30 am on August 25, when she managed to free herself.
She borrowed a mobile phone from a household worker and contacted her family for help.
Her brother later arrived at the home to take her away, leading to a confrontation with her in-laws before she was finally brought to Khargone for medical treatment.
Her father, Lokesh Verma, said the attack was due to her husband disliking her and demanding dowry.
He stated that the family had also faced threats when reporting the matter to the Mengaon police station and demanded justice for his daughter.
Khargone Superintendent of Police Dharmraj Meena confirmed: “A case has been registered based on the woman’s statement.
Since the alleged incident occurred in Barwani district, the case is being transferred to the local authorities there for investigation.”
Assistant Sub-Inspector Rekha Bhalray added: “We are recording her detailed statement. Further action will be taken based on the facts that emerge during the investigation.”
Authorities have recorded several statements as part of the ongoing probe, which aims to establish the full extent of the alleged abuse.
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