A video of a woman thrashing her mother-in-law in Madhya Pradesh has gone viral with her husband now fearing for his and his mother’s life in light of the grisly Meerut murder. The elderly woman is seen being dragged away by her daughter-in-law at their Gwalior home as she tried to save her son from being thrashed by his in-laws.
Vishal Batra, who runs a car spare shop, and his mother Sarla Batra, 70, have complained to the police that their in-laws barged into their house and attacked them over what they claimed was a “small issue”. Mr Batra later told reporters that his wife had been insisting on sending his mother to the old-age home – which he had refused.
Ms Batra claimed her daughter-in-law called her father Surendra Kohli on April 1 afternoon after which he reached their house in Adarsh Colony with his son Nanak Kohli and some other men. CCTV video showed Vishal Batra inside his house when his father-in-law entered the house and abruptly slapped him. He tried to hit back, but some others barged inside and started beating him.
Neelika, who was on the first floor, came downstairs and dragged away her mother-in-law, who was seen trying to save her son. The video showed her dragging the elderly woman by her hair and landing punches on her arms.
Their minor son – visibly scared – was also present during the assault.
Another video showed Mr Batra being assaulted on the streets and his son trying to move his mother away. Sarla Batra, who now has a swollen eye, said his son’s in-laws dragged him outside and the assault continued.
The neighbours then intervened and the matter moved to the police station.
“I am being harassed a lot. I can’t take it anymore. They called goons, and her father and brother thrashed us. How can someone beat a woman? Now they are threatening to kill us. We are scared and staying away from home,” she later told NDTV.
Mr Batra alleged his brother-in-law threatened him at the police station that he would kill him and his mother. And that his in-laws also took over his house – reportedly valued in crores – and locked it, leaving them stranded outside. He alleged that his wife has also threatened to file false charges against him and his mother.
“I am afraid that like the Meerut incident, my wife can kill me and my old mother,” he told reporters, pointing to the grisly murder in which a woman and her lover murdered her husband, chopped his body, and concealed it in a drum.
Neelika and her father are yet to make a public comment on the matter.
Mr Batra also claimed the police were initially reluctant to help but filed an FIR later. On Friday, he went to the Superintendent of Police’s office after which Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Vishal Batra assured him of strict action.