FIR filed against Mandsaur Joint Collector for dowry harassment:Wife alleges years of assault, forced abortion; says, ‘Police delayed action due to his influence’

Indore Police have registered an FIR against Mandsaur Joint Collector Rahul Chauhan on charges of dowry harassment. His wife, Nirmala Chauhan, alleges that she has been facing dowry-related abuse since marriage but was unable to get her complaint registered earlier due to her husband’s influence as an administrative officer. The women’s police station has now registered the case and recorded her statements, though the FIR mentions only general sections and does not include his designation in the complaint. The woman has also accused him of forcing a planned abortion. The case was registered at the women’s police station on November 27 based on Nirmala’s complaint, under Dowry Prohibition Act 1961 Sections 1 and 4, and Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) 2023 Sections 115(2), 296(b), and 85. The matter came to light on November 28. Marriage in 2018, harassment began next day According to the FIR, Nirmala married Rahul on December 16, 2018, when he was a trainee deputy collector. She stated that the marriage happened with the consent of both families and her mother arranged household items according to her capacity. However, she alleges that from the very next day, Rahul started harassing her for bringing ‘less dowry’, verbally abused her and assaulted her. A few days after marriage, her mother allegedly gave ₹50,000 to Rahul’s father for land registry work. After this, Nirmala began living with her husband in Khargone. Left at maternal home in 2019 In June 2019, Rahul took her to Delhi for UPSC preparation, while she continued preparing for PSC. She alleges that the physical abuse continued there. On July 31, 2019, Rahul allegedly left her at her maternal home in Indore and threatened her with divorce. She claims he did not contact her for several months after that. Rahul Chauhan is currently posted as Joint Collector, Mandsaur. Phone broken over dowry demand; thrown out of the house Nirmala alleges that in September 2019, when Rahul came to Indore for official work, she returned with him to Khargone. On September 21, 2019, he allegedly broke her mobile phone, stating that her family had not given ‘lakhs of rupees in dowry.’ When she said her family could not meet the demand, she claims he assaulted her, injuring her hand, and threw her out of the house. After this incident, she filed a complaint at Khargone police station and returned to Indore with her mother. She says she attempted reconciliation two to three times at a counseling center in Khargone, but Rahul refused to continue the marriage. Assault during travel and left alone in poor conditions Nirmala alleges that on May 19, 2020, Rahul came to take her back but assaulted her throughout the journey and forcibly took her to Barwah. She claims he pressured her to agree to a divorce, then left without informing her, abandoning her in a house where basic food and drinking arrangements were inadequate. Miscarriage allegedly due to harassment According to the complaint, in 2020, Nirmala became pregnant but was subjected to continued harassment, which led to a miscarriage. She received treatment at Indore’s Bombay Hospital. After this, she returned to her maternal home. Later, when she went to Dhar, she claims she discovered her husband was living with another woman. She alleges that at every place where her husband was posted, she faced harassment. Pressure for divorce and continued conflict Nirmala states that while living in government housing in Sardarpur, Rahul repeatedly pressured her to agree to a divorce. A family meeting was held on July 17, 2022, but no resolution was reached. She remained alone in the government quarters for a few days after Rahul left, and then returned to Indore to stay with her mother. Since then, she has been staying at her maternal home and alleges ongoing physical and mental harassment linked to dowry demands. Nirmala and her advocate, Praveen Kachole, allege that they faced resistance at multiple stages while seeking action against the accused. They claim officials hesitated to register the complaint due to Rahul’s administrative and political influence. When she first approached Sardarpur police station, officers allegedly refused to take her written application, stating that the accused was a senior officer. Rahul Chauhan’s claims allegations are false Rahul Chauhan has denied all allegations. He stated that a divorce case filed by him has been ongoing for three and a half years. He calls the allegation of a forced abortion ‘false’, asserting that records from Bombay Hospital can verify the truth. He claims to have personally paid ₹15 lakh for her medical treatment. Rahul also denies using administrative or political influence and says he has been living separately from his wife for over three years, during which he has been paying ₹15,000 per month in maintenance. He maintains that he never harassed his wife for dowry and says he trusts the court process to bring out the truth.