Hiding impotency is mental trauma: Court

A Mumbai Sessions court has refused to grant anticipatory bail to members of a Borivli-based family who had failed to inform their daughter-in-law that her husband was impotent. The court in its orders held that the accused family had mentally harassed the victim by concealing the fact of impotency.

The family also stands accused of assaulting the victim and misappropriating her streedhan. According to the victim’s statement, she got married to Prathamesh Pandit on May 11, 2014. The father-in-law Sharad Pandit, and mother-in-law Bharati Pandit, between July 2014-May 2015, failed to inform her of the fact that her husband was impotent. They allegedly abused her physically and misappropriated her streedhan of Rs 7,50,000.

The family says there were differences between the husband and wife, and thus she had levelled fake charges against the family.

The court, after reviewing the evidence, said, “Since July 2014 and May 9, 2015, the accused meted out ill treatment physically as well as mentally. They abused her, assaulted her with kicks and fists, and also concealed the fact that her husband was impotent. They have also misappropriated her streedhan and refused to give it back. Considering the prosecution’s say, it appears that custodial interrogation is required.”