DEMAND FOR DOWRY AND AN ATTEMPT TO MURDER 3 LAND IN JAIL

BICHOLIM: Bicholim police on Friday arrested three persons on charges of dowry demands and attempting to murder a woman from Vathadev Bicholim.  According to Bicholim DySP Bossuet D’Silva, Mohammad Gavas from Dhabdabo Bicholim lodged a complaint with police stating that his sister, Sabina, had married Rafique Shekh from Vathadev.

After their marriage, Rafique went abroad to work leaving behind Sabina with his family.  "As per the complaint, members of the family, including Sabina's mother-in-law, sister-in-law and brother-in-law were harassing her since the last few months. A non-cognisable offence was earlier registered with the police," DySP D'Silva said.  "They were demanding a TV, washing machine and furniture and their demands were increasing day by day," he said. On December 18, the three family members allegedly added Rattol poison in the chapati and gave it to her.

Sabina took seriously ill and was later rushed to Goa Medical College Hospital at Bambolim, where she is battling for life.  "We recorded her statement when she was fighting for her life the next day and she had told that her in-laws tried to kill her by adding poison in the chapati that she ate," said DySP D'Silva.  "As she was immediately shifted to the hospital she survived and the doctors were able to flush out the poison from her body."

Acting on the complaint, Bicholim police on Saturday arrested Sabina's mother-in-law, Fatima Shekh Ali, sister-in-law, Shakila Shekh, and brother-in-law, Husain Shekh under Section 307 for attempt to murder, 498 rw (34) IPC for harassment and dowry case. Bicholim PI Harish Madkaikar is investigating the case.