Maha: Man, kin booked for harassing his wife, seeking part of her father’s Rs 30 lakh COVID-19 death payout in UP

Thane, Apr 7 (PTI) Police have registered a case against a man and his four family members in Thane district of Maharashtra for allegedly harassing his wife and seeking from her half of the Rs 30 lakh compensation that her family had received from the Uttar Pradesh government following her father’s death due to COVID-19, an official said on Friday.

The first information report (FIR) against the man and his relatives was registered at the Navghar police station under the Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police commissionerate based on a complaint lodged by his 29-year-old wife.

“The victim married the man in February 2020. In April 2021, her father died of COVID-19 and the Uttar Pradesh government gave Rs 30 lakh compensation to his family. After the woman’s in-laws came to know about it, they demanded half the compensation amount,” a police official said.

As they did not get any money despite their repeated demands, the woman’s husband and his family members started abusing and harassing her physically and mentally. They even drove her out of the house last month, the woman said in her complaint.

A case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 498A (harassment and cruelty by husband or his relatives), 406 (criminal breach of trust), 504 (intentional insult) and 506 (criminal intimidation) was registered against the man, his parents and others. However, none of them have been arrested so far, the police said.

The UP government had announced in July 2021 that it would give Rs 30 lakh as compensation to the family of the each of its over 2,000 employees who died due to COVID-19 during the panchayat polls duty that year.