Mumbai: Woman ‘stripped, slashed, beaten’ by kin over Rs 21 lakh loan

A 43-year-old woman from Kandivli was allegedly lured to a house in Vasai, stripped, brutally assaulted, and filmed by her brother-in-law and his family over a R21-lakh debt dispute. The accused not only inflicted serious injuries but also circulated a video of the assault to shame and silence her, prompting a police investigation after the footage reached the victim’s husband.

According to sources, the victim was stripped, beaten, burned with a hot iron on her private parts, had her hair chopped off with scissors, and her face slashed with a blade. To further humiliate her, the accused filmed the assault and circulated the video among relatives and friends.

Out of fear and shame, the victim stayed silent for four days. The incident came to light only after her husband received the video and confronted her. He is reportedly in a state of emotional shock.

Screengrab from the video showing the woman assaulting the victim

A case has been registered, but the accused have absconded after locking up their home in Vasai.

The 43-year-old victim, a Kandivli resident, lives with her husband and six children. She has accused her brother-in-law (her husband’s sister’s husband) and his second wife of orchestrating the assault and injuring her grievously.

Speaking to mid-day at her home, the visibly traumatised victim said she was locked up for nearly two hours. “What I experienced cannot be put into words,” she said.

She explained that her husband had sold their Charkop house. Her brother-in-law, learning about it, asked for R21 lakh to repay a loan, assuring them it would be returned once he sold a piece of land in his village. “Since he was family, we discussed it and agreed to help. We handed over R21 lakh, including R13 lakh by cheque,” she said.

However, when her family needed the money to buy a new house, the accused began avoiding them, ignoring calls and eventually blocking their numbers.

During Ramzan, when her mother-in-law was hospitalised, they requested help again—but in vain. “We couldn’t get her treated properly due to lack of funds, and she passed away,” said the victim. “We were forced to live in a rented house. The stress took a toll on my husband, who is a heart patient.”

On April 5, her brother-in-law asked them to come to Vasai to collect the money. Since her husband was unwell, she went alone the next day. “When I reached, he asked me to come to his home. The windows were shut, the house was extremely hot. I freshened up and was sitting in the bedroom when someone suddenly pulled my hair from behind.”

The attacker was the brother-in-law’s second wife, who dragged her to the hall and accused her of having an affair. “She began beating me. My brother-in-law and his daughter recorded the entire attack.”

She said the woman called for scissors and attempted to kill her. “I held the scissors tightly, trying to stop her. But she pinned me down, kicked and punched me, and cut off my hair. Then she stripped me and slapped me on my private parts, while my brother-in-law filmed everything.”

The brother-in-law later slashed her face with a blade. “I tried to escape, but the main door was locked. Blood was all over the floor, and they panicked. They eventually took me to a private clinic, where a doctor stitched my wound.”

The accused threatened her to stay silent, instructing her to claim the injuries were due to an accident. “Even at the clinic, I was told not to speak. The doctor grew suspicious, but they told him a glass shard had fallen during a cricket game.”

She said her brother-in-law threatened to leak the video if she spoke up. “Before letting me go, they formatted my phone so I couldn’t call for help, and also snatched my gold chain and earrings.”

Victim`s husband speaks

The victim’s husband told mid-day, “When I first saw her injury, she claimed it was an accident. But on April 9, I got a call from relatives who had seen the video. When I confronted her, she broke down and told me everything.”

He immediately filed a complaint at Charkop police station, which was transferred to Valiv Police Station in Vasai East for further investigation.

“This incident has shattered our dignity,” he said. “They even sent relatives to threaten us. We’ve now learned they’ve allegedly done this to others too—taking money, luring people to their home, assaulting them, recording it, and then blackmailing them.”

He added that his wife is suffering from depression after the circulation of the obscene video. “Even our children have seen it. We don’t know how far this video will spread. These people are a danger to society. They must be punished.”

Police action

DCP Zone 2, MBMC, Purnima Chogle Shringi said, “This is a zero FIR case transferred from Charkop to Valiv Police Station. Our team visited the accused’s residence, but they are absconding. I have instructed my officers—they will not be spared.”

April 5
Day of assault

What is a Medico-Legal Case (MLC)?

“A medico-legal case (MLC) refers to a medical case that has legal implications and requires investigation by law enforcement authorities to determine the cause
of injury or ailment, and to assign responsibility as per the law. These cases typically arise when an attending doctor, upon examining a patient, suspects
that the nature of the injury or condition warrants legal scrutiny.

If a doctor has any doubts after assessing the patient’s injuries or condition, it becomes mandatory to inform the relevant investigative authorities. This is considered part of the patient’s legal rights. Failure by a doctor or hospital to report such cases to the concerned agencies can result in legal action against the medical professionals or the institution, especially if a criminal act is later discovered in connection with the case,” said Dr Nitin Pawar from Mumbai-based multi-speciality Oscar Hospital.

“In cases where there is any suspicion, doctors typically send an MLC (Medico-Legal Case) report to the police,” said Police Inspector Gorakhnath Jaid of Valiv police station.

“However, when the victim themselves explains the cause of the injury, stating how it happened or even saying that they have no complaint against anyone and take responsibility for the injury, doctors usually do not file an MLC. In this particular case, it appears that this might be what happened—the patient and her relatives informed the doctor about the injury, which possibly led to the MLC not being filed,” the officer added.