‘My marriage was more painful than the acid attack itself’

PUNE: City’s lone acid attack survivor was a victim of domestic abuse for nine long years, until court granted her divorce from her spouse and a small compensation for emotional trauma
She has been walking the tightrope of life for the last 12 years. In 2005, when she was a mere 21 years old, a cab driver flung acid on her face, causing severe injuries, which was to lead to an eventual emotional trauma, too.Even as she was trying to put herself together, to add to her life of strife, Monika (name changed) has been a victim of domestic violence as well — a situation she kept a close secret, other than letting close family members in on it.
A Pune court recently awarded her compensation after it came to light that her husband had physically and mentally tortured her during the nine years that they were married.
Twelve years ago, Monika was working with a BPO, when a cab driver who used to work with her company proposed to her. When she refused his advances, he threw acid on her, leaving a part of her face, neck, hand, chest and thigh completely disfigured.
Ever since the incident, she has undergone several corrective surgeries. In the midst of her painful journey, she saw a small ray of hope in 2007, when one of her subordinates proposed marriage to her.
While the young man professed his love for her, his parents were not too keen about the relationship; but, he remained steadfast and the couple was married the same year.
“The man who consumed 72 sleeping pills to display his love, and went against his own parents to be with me, changed soon after we got married. Barely a few months after our nuptials, he started showing his true colours. He would verbally and physically abuse me over petty issues,” said Monika. She added that her husband would mock her by telling everyone that he had accepted her despite the acid attack. “He would embarrass me in front of everybody. Being a financially independent woman with a strong sense of self-esteem, his unkind words in front of relatives and friends hurt me,” said she.
Monika alleged in court that most of the squabbles, which eventually would take an ugly turn during her married years, were over her inability to hand over her entire salary to her husband’s mother, an accepted norm in the household. “After our marriage, he conveniently overlooked that I was an acid attack survivor and needed to spend a lot on my treatment. While he never paid a penny for it, he did not take kindly to me spending my own money either,” Monika explained, adding that even today, she is being treated for the injuries caused during the 2005 attack.
Added to the quarrels and humiliation, her husband even assaulted her on over 30 occasions during their marriage. “The days I was married were more painful than those soon after the acid attack — the injuries after the attack were only physical, but after my marriage, I was being battered physically and humiliated every day,” expressed Monika. The couple lived to together for a little over two years, after which she could not bear the abuse any more. She moved back to her parents’ house and has been with them ever since. Their marriage was annulled in the family court in April 2016.
Around the time she was fighting the bitter legal battle for divorce, she also moved a domestic violence case against her husband and in-laws. She told the court that she had to undergo two abortions owing to the trauma caused by her husband and in-laws, something that the court observed she was unable to establish and back up with evidence.
The court however, observed that she was indeed subjected to ‘mental torture’ and ‘emotional distress’ while granting her compensation of Rs 50,000. “As per Section 22 of The Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the Magistrate can order directing the respondent to pay compensation damages for the injuries, including mental torture and emotional distress, caused by the acts of domestic violence committed by the respondent. Definitely the applicant would have suffered mental torture and emotional distress due to established facts done by respondent (husband). Therefore, I am of the view that the applicant is entitled to the compensation of Rs 50,000,” judicial magistrate first class, AV Mohite, ordered on February 2. After the order, Monika has decided to put this phase of her life behind her and move on. “It was my decision to end the marriage as I could not see myself suffering and living at someone’s mercy. The last few years have been tiring due to litigations and battles. But, I am relieved now. I need to focus on my ongoing treatment for the deformities caused by the acid attack. This one has been my lone battle and will continue to be for years to come,” she concluded.
FLASHBACK
It took her years to get justice in the acid attack case. Initially, the accused was granted only seven years by the lower court. In 2016, Bombay High Court enhanced his sentence from seven years to life. Amidst all this, Kailas Sitaram Adagale, her attacker, escaped in 2007. He was granted a 14-day break from prison in 2007, after which he never returned. It was only last year that he was tracked down and put behind bars again to serve his life sentence.