[“My Caged Life” is a new series which is the first attempt of its kind in India to bring the agony of men and their families who underwent arrest and illegal detention in different false criminal cases mostly under Indian dowry laws. All these stories are told to The Male Factor team by these victims and their families. Names are changed in all cases to restrict legal implications.

If you were detained illegally in any criminal case without proper investigation or on any false complaint, please contact us through the “Contact Me” link of this website and tell us your story. This series will be published on every Saturday on this website.

Read all stories under “My Caged Life” – here]

Part 2     Part 3

My Birthday Treat

It was a Friday evening in Sep 2011 and we were having a family dinner and my sister was planning the menu for next morning. We were having a little debate on how my mom and sis could give us a culinary surprise. It was my birthday next day, and they were preparing the food menu for our family’s next day’s lunch. A treat for all of us on the occasion of my birthday.

It was then I received an SMS from my wife. She sent the SMS from my rented house that she occupied by then, throwing me out of the same. She wished me happy birthday but the tone of the SMS was not quite right. I did not understand it so deleted the message and joined my family in planning.

As we were busy planning and making a lot of fun among ourselves the doorbell rang. My father went to open the door. As soon as he opened the door, the old man was pushed aside and three policemen forced to enter the house. Surprised, we were just trying to understand what was happening when the IO handed over a paper to my father and asked him to sign the paper as he informed that I was being arrested under section IPC 498a / 406 and 34 complaints filed by my wife.

As he was trying to understand what was happening, my mother and sister started crying and making the IO understand that the complaints were false. But all turned to their deaf ears. I was pulled by the collar in front of my family and neighbors. When I went outside, I found some policemen surrounded my house, as they do for any dreaded criminal.

In the police station, I was repeatedly asked about my father’s property and I was not sure why. I was asked to sign some papers but was never given any time to read them through, as if the moment my wife raised a complaint against me I lost all my basic human rights.

My parents and sister reached the PS in a short while. I was asked to hand over all my belongings to them, wear the clothes given by the police and was pushed into a small dark cell in the prison. There were two other inmates – one thief and the other a drug addict.

My family members were crying inconsolably. The family that was laughing and celebrating a few hours ago were heartbroken and were in tears of blood. I could not withstand their pain. I could bear my jail term but not their tears.

I had always believed in God. I believed that Lord Shiva and Maa Kaali would always be there to rescue me from all my pains. I always believed that my god will never let anything bad happen to my family or to me if we were not wrong. My beliefs were shattered as I saw my family in tremendous agony and pain and I being alive could not do anything to alleviate their pain. All of us were breaking down every moment the IO or any other policeman uttered any word or ridiculed anyone of us.

The IO was very blatant and harsh when he confidently announced that I would not get bail before Durga Puja ended, that was not before another fifteen days of time.

My aged parents started crying even harder. They couldn’t believe that their son was being sent to jail just before his birthday and without committing any crime and that he would not get out any sooner. My mother fainted in shock and in grief.

But the worst was yet to come…

Next

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