At the Meeting Hall of the Hyderabad district collectorate on Tuesday, December 23 morning, there were a large number of women seated on the chairs. Sunitha was among them. She stood near the stage for a while before walking up to the dais, where a panel had assembled to listen to grievances.
“I got married in 2016. I have a daughter, and ever since her birth my husband and in-laws have been harassing me for giving birth to a girl and also for dowry,” Sunitha told the panel. She said that she was forced to undergo three abortions after being taken to rural locations for illegal gender determination tests. “Each time, when they found the foetus was female, they made me abort,” she said, adding that she had recently discovered that her husband was involved in an extramarital relationship.
Sunitha was one among the many women who attended the ‘Naari Nyay – Hear Her Out’ open hearing, organised by the Telangana State Commission for Women. As part of the hearing, a total of 54 women submitted complaints, a majority of which were related to domestic violence. The panel included commission Chairperson Sharada Nerella; Deputy Commissioner of Police, Women Safety Wing, Hyderabad, Lavanya Naik; and Deputy Commissioner of Police, SHE Teams, Rachakonda, Usha Rani.
Another complainant, Takseem Fatima from Ghansi Bazaar in Hyderabad, said she had been facing domestic violence for the past few years. “My husband is jobless. I have two children who need to study. If I opt for a divorce, how will he pay maintenance for me and my children?” she asked. She said that she had already filed a domestic violence case, but her husband was not appearing at police stations or counselling sessions despite repeated summons.
Sameena Begum, who got married in July 2023, alleged that she had been subjected to dowry harassment from the very beginning of her marriage. “From the first day, my husband and his brother have been torturing me in the name of dowry,” she said. She also alleged sexual harassment by her father-in-law. “When I complained to my husband, instead of confronting his father, he refused to believe me,” she told the panel, seeking police intervention.
Among the complainants was also Sirisha, who is nine months pregnant and expecting delivery on December 31. “Despite my condition, I am here because the dowry harassment by my in-laws has gone beyond control, and my husband does not support me,” she said.
Speaking on the complaints received, Chairperson of the Telangana State Commission for Women, Sharada Nerella, said that the objective of the open hearing was to listen directly to women’s grievances, ensure access to justice and speed up necessary action. ”A significant number of complaints were related to domestic violence and the commission would take up all cases and work to ensure justice for the women,” she added.