A 2010-batch Karnataka IPS officer, Vartika Katiyar, has filed a complaint of dowry-related violence and harassment against her husband, IFS officer, Niteen Subhash Yeola and his family in Bengaluru. Vartika, who is superintendent in the KSRP Research Centre has said in her complaint that she allegedly 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, a First Information Report (FIR) was registered on February 1 at the Cubbon Park police station.
Other than Niteen, six other family members have been named as the accused in the case. His father Subhash Yeola, mother Amol Yeola, and relatives Sunita Yeola, Sachin Yeola, Prajakta Yeola and Pradnya Yeola have been named as accused.
According to Vartika’s complaint, she married Niteen in 2011 in a ceremony the expenses of which were borne by her family. However, she alleges that Niteen and his family compelled her family to give gold ornaments too.
The harassment continued after the marriage as well, she alleged, with Vartika stating that she was subjected to verbal abuse and “mental torture” for “no reason”.
Vartika has alleged that multiple times in the last few years, her marital family demanded lakhs of rupees from her family. The first instance, according to the complaint, occurred three months after the wedding. Rs 3 lakh was allegedly demanded by Niteen’s family, who threatened to break the marriage if the amount was not given.
“Hence, due to fear of breaking off marriage the complainant and her parents fulfilled their demands right from the beginning. (sic)” the complaint states
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Niteen Yeola
In another instance 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 complaint makes many similar allegations.
Vartika has also alleged that Niteen started physically abusing her.
She has also recounted an incident from 2016 which resulted in her fracturing her hand. She has alleged that she and Niteen were visiting Colombo when the latter hit her with a marble box, breaking her hand.
The alleged abuse did not stop during her pregnancy as well, the complaint says, and Vartika was sent to her parents’ home by Niteen and his family who also “abused and tortured” her.
All the accused 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.