IPS officer files dowry harassment case against IFS husband

Bengaluru: Vartika Katiyar, 2010-batch Karnataka IPS officer, has reportedly filed a dowry harassment case against her husband, IFS officer Niteen Subhash Yeola and his family in Bengaluru. Vartika, superintendent of police, Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRO) Research Centre has claimed that she underwent years of financial, emotional and physical abuse at the hands of her husband, a deputy secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and his family, which also resulted in an injury in 2016. Based on her complaint, an FIR was registered on February 1 at the Cubbon Park police station, Bengaluru.

According to the complaint, Vartika married Niteen in 2011. Niteen and his family allegedly forded her family to give gold ornaments. She has named six other family members her husband -- his father Subhash Yeola, mother Amol Yeola, and relatives Sunita Yeola, Sachin Yeola, Prajakta Yeola and Pradnya Yeola -- as the accused in the case.

"The harassment continued after the marriage," she alleged. Vartika further stated that she was subjected to verbal abuse and "mental torture" for "no reason". My marital family demanded lakhs of rupees from my family. Hence, due to fear of breaking off marriage the complainant and her parents fulfilled their demands right from the beginning. (sic)" the complaint states.

According to the sources close to the couple, in 2012, Niteen allegedly went to Uttar Pradesh to Vartika's grandmother's house and demanded Rs 5 lakh from her, which was given to him in the form of a cheque. The alleged abuse did not stop during her pregnancy as well. Vartika was sent to her parents' home by Niteen and his family who also "abused and tortured" her.

According to the police, cases have been booked under section 3 and 4 (penalty for taking dowry) of the Dowry Prohibition Act and multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code. Other than the Dowry Prohibition Act, they have been booked under sections 506 (criminal intimidation), 509 (intending to insult the modesty of any woman, 34 (common intent), 498A (Husband or relative of husband of a woman subjecting her to cruelty), 384 (Punishment for extortion), 420 (cheating) and 326. (Voluntarily causing grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.