Software engineer in jail for torturing wife for dowry

Gagan Hiremath, a manager in a software firm,  ill-treated his wife, Sarwamangala, physically and mentally. The girl’s tight schedule at the workplace and overseas assignments gave her very little time to get to know well her fiance before marriage.

A dejected Sarwamangala told Deccan Herald: “We got to know each other through a marriage bureau in Seshadripuram and elders from both sides blessed us. But finally, no one came to my rescue or listened to my problems.”

Initially, her husband looked naïve and understanding but he showed his true colours during honeymoon.  “He started cursing my parents and brothers over marriage arrangements and later, he and his parents, pestered me to get Rs 50 lakh as dowry,” she said. She alleged that her mother-in-law treated her as a slave.

“The day I stepped into their house, they gave me a list of dos and don’ts –– supposed to wake up before sunrise, clean the kitchen, toilet, prepare bed coffee, breakfast and leave for work at 7.30 am. And when I returned at 8 pm, they taunted and forced me to bring money or walk out. I didn’t have anyone by my side and my husband, instead of supporting me, made my life more miserable,” she said.

She took everything in her stride thinking that it was a teething problem. “Not a single day did he allow me to stay in peace and one day, things went to the extreme when he attempted to smother me to death with a pillow. I managed to escape and landed at my brother’s place,” she recalled.

Gagan’s family refused to talk. Sarwamangala’s brother, Shivaprabhu Hiremath said, “In order to come out of jail, Gagan has confessed to the court that he is undergoing psychiatric treatment.”