New Delhi : It was payback time for a husband and his family, whose greed was not satiated by Rs 18 lakh in dowry and who continued to torture the wife mentally and physically to squeeze out another Rs 10 lakh and a plot from her parents.

They learnt their lesson the hard way, with the Supreme Court directing them to pay Rs 40 lakh to the wife and her family and tender a public apology before the Aggarwal Sabha. After this, a divorce would be granted by mutual consent.

Shilpa's marriage to Abhinav in July 2007 was a typical one — with exchange of lavish gifts even before the actual ceremony. The boy's parents took Rs 18 lakh — Rs 10 lakh to buy a Toyota Innova car ostensibly in the name of the bride in which she would arrive in her new matrimonial home and Rs 8 lakh for other expenses.

But, the moment Shilpa stepped into her husband's house, the demands started increasing — Rs 10 lakh more and transfer of title of a plot standing in her father's name to the father-in-law's name.

She was allegedly poisoned and sexually harassed by the inlaws in addition to being tortured. She filed several police complaints while the husband moved for divorce. The Aggarwal Sabha tried to bring about peace within the family.
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Two cheers for Nisha Sharma for bucking one of society's most archaic customs. Nisha Sharma turned her rather smarmy husband-to-be over to the police. His crime? Asking for dowry; and on their wedding day no less! Now she is a folk hero. She has received marriage offers from admiring suitors, a chance at political office, and other sundry offers. She has refused them all and, instead, will concentrate on finishing her degree. Nisha is also getting offers to join politics, feature in ad films and anchor television shows. Her father D D Sharma, who owns a battery manufacturing unit, says dozens of men have already sent marriage proposals to his gutsy daughter.

Satya Rani Chadha, Founder Shakti Shalini and Shah Jahan Begum, President Shakti Shalini in conversation with Manisha Parikh Srivastava in New Delhi. Shakti Shalini is a Delhi-based women's organisation committed to working with and for women exploited, victimised, harassed for dowry or any other reasons. The fight against exploitation of women began at home for Mrs.Satya Rani Chadha when her 20-year old, 6 month-pregnant daughter was burned to death in March 1979.Chadha, an Indian national born in Lahore migrated to Delhi in 1947 and was a housewife till the trauma of losing her daughter forced her to fight against the exploitation of women especially in dowry cases. Chadha's vigorous fight aimed to highlight the callous and casual response of the judiciary, the investigators and the enforcement agencies in such cases besides the numerous delays caused merely due to insensitive techincal interpretations of existing legal provisions.