A single bench of district judge Shekhar Prasad Poudel slapped the jail sentence and a fine of Rs 25,000 on Halwai and ordered him to pay compensation worth Rs 75,000 to the victimized wife.[break]
Tarnum Banu had lodged a complaint against her husband Sabir Ali at the District Police Office (DPO) on December 26, 2012 after she was physically and mentally tortured on a daily basis for several years. After the court´s verdict, Tarnum said justice was finally done.
Punam Shrestha, a lawyer who had fought the case on behalf of the victim, said though the verdict came little late, it provided justice to the victim. She conjectured, "The case may be the first in the district where the victim of domestic violence has been given justice by the court itself."
Women rights activists in the district also lauded the verdict. Sapana Bhattrai, an advocate working against domestic violence for a long time in the district, said the decision will encourage the victimes of domestic violence to come forward and seek legal remedy.
Sabir Ali and Tarnum Banu had tied the knot in 1994. But barely a year after the marriage, Sabir Ali started abusing her physically demanding additional dowry. The District Police Office and other social organizations in the district had earlier tried to reconcile the dispute but to no avail.
"He thrashed me on a daily basis. After I could not bear the torture, I filed complaint with police in December last year," said Tarnum Banu, who is currently living at her maternal house with her two sons.
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