Kendrapada: In a disturbing case highlighting deep-rooted gender bias, a woman and her infant daughter narrowly escaped death after her father-in-law allegedly set their bed on fire at Damarpur village under Pattamundai Rural police limits late last night.
The victim, identified as Sasmita Das, married to Sushant Ray for eight years, had allegedly been enduring repeated physical and mental harassment from her husband, father-in-law, and mother-in-law for failing to produce a male child. Sushant already has two daughters from his first marriage, according to sources.
Speaking to the media, Sasmita alleged that the father-in-law procured petrol from a nearby market, poured it on the bed where she and the newborn used to sleep, and set it ablaze. The fire spread rapidly, destroying household items inside the home. She managed to flee but without her daughter as it was pitch dark inside the house. When Sasmita returned to pick her daughter, she was assaulted by her in-laws.
She spent the entire night outside to protect herself and the infant from further harm.
She further alleged that she was abandoned in the hospital for nearly two months after giving birth to a daughter. “They had been wishing for my death since then. My husband and father-in-law would also often beat me. They also abused me,” she claimed.
Sasmita returned to her parental house and lodged a complaint with police, who have registered a case and are conducting a thorough probe into the incident.
Dismissing the girl child bias allegation, her husband, Sushant, said that his father set fire to the mattress since she had a habit of falling asleep at odd times. Her father-in-law further explained that she would often fall asleep as early as 6 pm and would not respond despite repeated knocking on her room door.
