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UWe are a Muslim family from Maharashtra, and my heart aches as I recount the nightmare my sister has endured since her marriage in 2020. It was an arranged marriage, and the groom’s family seemed well-educated but turned out to be deeply orthodox and controlling. From the very first day, my sister faced unimaginable mental and physical abuse, leaving her trapped in a suffocating cycle of despair.
Here’s what she suffered:
1. **Isolation from the Start:** On the very first day after her wedding, my sister’s mother-in-law and sister-in-law confiscated her mobile phone and sent it back to us. When she confronted her husband, he coldly told her that daughters-in-law in their house are not allowed to have phones. He claimed she could use his phone if needed, dismissing her individuality. To avoid conflict, my sister reluctantly gave up her phone, unknowingly giving up her connection to the outside world.
2. **Control Over Every Aspect of Her Life:** They micromanaged everything she did. From deciding what she should wear, who she could talk to, what she should eat, to dictating even when and how she should laugh, her in-laws reduced her to a mere puppet in their household.
3. **Humiliation and Betrayal in Her Own Marriage:** Her husband was never there for her. Instead, he spent most of his time with a girl named “Gudiya,” who, although not related by blood, lived with the family and was treated as their own. Shockingly, this girl and my sister’s husband even slept on my sister’s bed while she was forced to sleep on the floor. During the nights, her husband would return after 2 a.m., avoiding any chance of a conversation. My sister, fearing confrontation and drama, silently endured this betrayal.
4. **Shattered Dreams of a Career:** My sister, an MA in Geography with a B.Ed degree, dreamt of becoming a professor. Her husband, also a teacher before their marriage, seemed like the perfect partner to support her ambitions. But after their marriage, she discovered that he had quit his job under his mother’s orders. When my sister tried to pursue her career and prepared for exams like NET/SET, her sister-in-law created a scene, accusing her of overstepping boundaries. Her dreams were crushed under the weight of their oppression.
5. **Denial of Healthcare and Basic Dignity:** If my sister fell sick, she was taunted for being weak. They boasted about their superior immunity and refused to take her to a doctor until her condition became severe.
6. **Dowry Demands and Theft of Her Belongings:** Her mother-in-law constantly praised the older daughter-in-law for bringing a significant dowry and monthly gold. They took all the gold my sister brought with her and locked it away in a bank without her consent.For two years, my sister silently endured this hell until she finally confided in us. We were horrified and immediately filed a domestic violence case against her in-laws and husband.
**The Nightmare of Legal Proceedings**
* When the case was filed, her in-laws somehow manipulated the police to avoid appearing before them. The case moved to court, but for over a year, none of them have attended a single hearing. My sister, on the other hand, has had to attend every hearing, reliving her trauma each time. Despite presenting substantial evidence and repeatedly pointing out their absence to the court, no action has been taken.
* Even when a non-bailable warrant was issued, they managed to escape consequences. Their lawyer has now secured permission for them to avoid court appearances altogether. The judge, a woman, seems reluctant to pass any judgment, leaving my sister stuck in this limbo.
* To make matters worse, during this time, her husband secretly married another woman without my sister’s consent. He seems to be living a happy life while my sister is trapped in endless legal battles and mental agony.
* We once considered settling the matter outside court just to get her a divorce, but her in-laws cruelly refused. They stated that they wanted to “set an example” for other daughters-in-law, showing how they punish anyone who dares to speak out against them.
* **We are desperate for justice.** All we want is a divorce so my sister can finally move on and rebuild her life.**Key Questions:**
1. How can we expedite the court proceedings and ensure her in-laws and husband are held accountable for their actions?
2. What legal options are available to secure a divorce and protect my sister’s future?
3. How do we address the manipulation of law enforcement and the court system by her in-laws?
4. Is there any way to push for stricter action against her husband for marrying without her consent?Please guide us. My sister deserves to be free from this nightmare and to live with dignity and hope.
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SIt’s hard to say what the reality is, because of so many false cases women have filed, that even the real ones have been colored suspicious. But anyways, your matter is sub-judice, so there is nothing anyone on reddit can do. If they are as powerful as you say they are, manipulating police and judges at their whims, then all you can do is find a more powerful lawyer or politician to help you.
This is why I tell couples in dispute to get a quick and painless mutual separation. Some heed it and in 12 months live their own lives, some don’t and have to go through the motions of the process. And the process is often the punishment. Since you filed criminal charges against them, they’re retaliating and honestly I do not see any resolution in sight for now.
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UThis is a legal advice sub reddit and not a single line of your blabbering comes under legal advice. She/he is here asking for legal solution, He doesn’t need moral policing or life advice. If you dont have one, better keep quiet. And let others answer her first.
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UThank you for sharing your perspective. We understand the concern about false cases, but I assure you this is a genuine situation, and my sister’s suffering is deeply real. The legal system does take its time, and unfortunately, we are experiencing firsthand how challenging it can be to seek justice when powerful people manipulate the process.
We agree that a mutual separation would have been ideal, but her in-laws have explicitly refused to grant a divorce, intending to ‘punish’ her for speaking out. This leaves us with no choice but to continue pursuing legal action.
As for your question about why we agreed to the marriage—like many families, we based our decision on what was visible to us during the arrangement process. Unfortunately, their true nature only came to light after my sister became part of their household.
We are doing everything we can to help her rebuild her life, and I appreciate your thoughts on how we might navigate this further. If you have any advice on finding the right resources or support, it would mean a lot.
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UYou should have read the title properly. OP asked for legal advice. Nowhere did OP request for a judge or courtroom trial.
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S>Nowhere did OP request for a judge or courtroom trial.
You should read the post properly. The matter is already in Court. There is nothing that can be done.
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MIf it seems impossible to to leave them legally, them being too powerful. Just make a plan and tell your sister to run away from the house. Let her live in place far from them.
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UThank you for your suggestion. We understand why you’re saying this, but running away isn’t a long-term solution. My sister deserves legal closure and the right to live her life freely without fear. We want to ensure her safety while also fighting for her rights
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UYes, I used ChatGPT to organize my scattered thoughts properly. I didn’t want my poor writing skills to become a limiting factor in conveying the message clearly
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UCan she apply for khula? Afaik women in islam can ask for khula, I think mehr won’t be paid by the husband. He can marry upto 4 wives, as per laws
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UKhula opens another pandora box of problems. She won’t get alimony or any kind of payment by the husband which she totally deserves after years of enduring, marriage expenses and gifts and the slavery they made her do. Getting that gold back will aldo become a different case then.
That is what the husband’s family trying to do from the beginning, coerce her to do khula.
Best case scenario is to go with the case, put pressure, social media, go to poloticians, District Colector, NGO.
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QHire a reputed aggressive lawyer who can sum up the case of harassment in a short interim application in writing to the court with proofs now after submitting such an application the judge will have to either take action or give reason for delaying decision
I know a lawyer in delhi for such a scenario but unfortunately you are not from ncr
You may also highlight this case on twitter by tagging it to the chief minister of Maharashtra and certain pro hindu organisations who may make it a political agenda and kick up a storm -
NHey OP, what your sister went through is very sad and my sympathies to you and your family.
NAL
Few things I didn’t like from your side as well though. And I see that as the main reason for your sister’s trauma now.
After 2 years she told you all this and you guys immediately went and filed DV case?
No discussion with the grooms family as why they are behaving like this or what do they really want?
Now you are telling that you just want divorce for your sister?OP only file cases on other people when you are ready to fight a lengthy legal battle for years to come. This should be your only option if there is no other solution left I.e. in case of marriage disputes, always go for Mediation and mutual divorce.
Also, I read your content and I dont see any mention about your sister being beaten or any violence against your sister, so on what basis did you guys file DV? I am confused a bit and feel there’s more to the story that you are hiding.Next steps: For now you & your family have tested the legal waters of our country so I hope that you will not act in vengeance or revenge from this point forward.
So, pitch for mediation asap and get inside a mediation center and get things sorted in a mutually agreed settlement asap. If the other side is greedy for the jewelry then let them have it. But reach on a settlement asap. Your past decisions have caused immense trauma to the poor sister. Don’t drag her more into these court battles.
If your lawyer’s are itching to fight in the court battle, then change the lawyers. Find lawyers who will help you end this lengthy battle via mediation.All the best OP.
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UHow did they ‘turn out’ to be this way? Like ye sabh shadi ke Baad kya hoga baatein nahi hui?
Anyway you need a better lawyer.. Someone who has political connections. Gaand maari Jaa sakti hai with the right connections. You guys are playing tjis game like nice bechara people. Haraami ban jao. Get angry. Take all the help you can get and you make an example out of them. That’s the best advise I can give you.
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UCheck with other lawyers who specialise in Muslim divorces
A wife can take a divorce legally if the husband doesn’t come for the hearing etc . I don’t know the details but my friends sister took divorce legally from her ex who stays in US and refused to divorce legally even after marrying some one else . They are Muslims too.
My friends sister took divorce and now she’s legally married to someone else
Do pursue different opinions with specialised lawyers -
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WI have a sorta stupid, reckless idea
If you can apply for her passport as a single (unmarried woman), assuming she hasn’t held a passport before and she has all the documents in her maiden name tied to her parents address… If you can afford it, secretly apply for a PG dip/masters program in a country like Canada, UK, Australia (without anyone knowing). She’s already MA, she can clear IELTS. And middle of the night drive her to airport and make her leave the country.
See if you can set up funds there till she can complete her education and I’m certain she can kick start a career, even if difficult. At this point, the in laws have no recourse but to search locally initially. And if they ask you, you can simply say that we don’t know, she wasn’t allowed to talk to us.
Ofcourse – biggest obstacle is that flight trips via passport can be traced so they may find out where she flew to. But we can hope their reach doesn’t extend out of the country.
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UNot a lawyer. But I think the problem with this approach is: once they know she out of India, they will start appearing in court and claim that she is physically not present and have a contempt of court issued. This will lead to her getting arrested the moment she lands in Indiathe next time.
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WThere are special provisions for her to make court appearances once she’s a citizen and honestly, if she’s escaped from here, it’s unlikely she’s setting foot back here without foreign citizenship. It’s not safe anyway.
At this point, she has no better recourse than escape. And if she comes back with a PR, citizenship, she’s not getting arrested. As for appearance, she can send papers to her family to represent her and issue power of attorney since divorce is a civil matter, not a criminal one. She has trusted family members fortunately to stand for her.
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They are based out of Maharashtra and worked with Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (challenged TripleT, etc). If they cant help directly, they’ll definitely be able to help connect with someone who can.
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