Jawan's tonsure torture leaves wife scared

A young woman who was periodically tortured by her suspicious soldier-husband has been lying in a hospital bed in Thoothukudi for nearly a month recovering from wounds inflicted on her. Strangely, police have so far failed to arrest her tormentor husband, who is a Lance Naik in the Indian Army and his brother who had allegedly abused her.

The 25-year old woman Guru Eswari married her maternal uncle Murugan eight years ago.

According to her mother, every time Murugan returned to his Army battalion, he would allegedly force his wife to tonsure her head “to make her look ugly.” Eswari was residing with her mother-in-law Poosammal at Tharuvaikulam near Thoothukudi. Kaliammal alleged that last month Murugan’s brother Shanmuga Sundararaja had visited Eswari’s house and stayed there for three days during which he attempted to misbehave with her. On July 24 the two brothers tortured Eswari.

Later they allegedly branded her body using a hot iron rod. “They also threw chilly powder in her eyes after tying her legs and hands,” said Kaliammal pointing to the scars on her daughter’s body. Eswari was allegedly tortured for six days whole days.