Foreign 'bahu' on hunger strike gains entry into house

Family drama

Tussle between 'saas-bahu' is quite common in India and it has been depicted in almost all its forms in the TV serials and films, but this battle was quite different.

In this tussle, the 'saas' was an Indian but the 'bahu' was a foreigner. Olga Efimenkova, a Russian, who was married to an Indian, had to embark upon a hunger strike before her mother-in-law's house in Uttar Pradesh's Agra town, about 350 kilometres from here, to gain entry into the ancestral house.

Olga charged that her mother-in-law was not happy with the marriage as she had not brought any dowry with her. ''She used to torture and abuse me and demanded dowry,'' she said.

Olga had married Vikrant Singh Chandel five years ago. Vikrant and Olga, who had come into contact through a social networking site, had shifted to Goa after marriage and started their own business.

They, however, suffered losses and returned to Agra around a fortnight back.''To our shock, my mother-in-law refused to allow us into the house... I tried to persuade her but in vain...she demanded dowry,'' Olga said in broken hindi while sitting before the gate of the house.

Her husband also said that his mother had refused to give him the share in the property and allow them to live there until Olga gave her dowry. Olga also informed the Russian embassy about the matter and sought its help in getting her hubby's share in the property.

The 'saas' Nirmala Chandel, however, had a different take of the story. She claimed that she had gifted the house to her daughter, who runs a school there, after her husband died.

Nirmala also said that she had given money to Vikrant in exchange for his share in the property. ''My son is a drunkard and a gambler...he is worthless,'' she said.

The police, who were hesitant in taking any action in the case earlier saying that it was a ''family dispute'', swung into action after senior officials took note of the matter following intervention by the ministry of foreign affairs.

While Olga gained entry into the house, a case was registered against Nirmala and three others.