For 17 years, Parvin Jungalwala, 40, a Parsi widow, allegedly spent her life in home confinement. However, she decided to end her torture and the reason for this his is her daughter’s well-being, who will be appearing for her class X examination next month.
Parvin, who got married soon after her class X exams, has lodged a police complaint against her in-laws. Ever since her husband Cyrus’ death in 1993 she has been held in captivity by her in-laws, the widow has said in her police compliant.
She chose to end her confinement after she got angered by the alleged beating of her 15-year-old daughter Aava by her in-laws recently.
"I was married off at the age of 19 in 1990 to Cyrus, who was 39-year-old. My in-laws now are trying to ruin the life of my daughter," said Parvin, alleging that they used to beat her up and now have begun to assault her daughter too.
Her husband died in an accident after three years of their marriage. Subsequently, her brother-in-law Hormaz took charge of the family, Parvin stated in her complaint. "I was sexually abused by my brother-in-law whose wife had left him," she said in her complaint.
"Later, they took my signature to transfer various benefits which I should have got after my husband’s death like insurance etc. They even tried to prove me as mentally challenged and kept me in a room," Parvin said.
After Hormaz’s death, his son Jimmy began to abuse her, Parvin states in the complaint. Even Shirin, her mother-in-law, used to harass her and for food she had to depend on her father who lived in Mumbai, she has alleged in the complaint.
"I had informed my father about my situation in a letter written to him without the knowledge of my in-laws. Thereafter, he made arrangement for my food and sometimes I used to get food from my neighbours also," Parvin said.
Parvin’s elder son Jamshed, 17, is treated nicely by the family while daughter Aava is not looked after well, she has alleged.
Parvin left her house wearing a nightdress on January 27 and picked up her daughter on way from the school. Later, she approached a local NGO for help to register a complaint against her in-laws to recover the valuables which belonged to her.
"We were informed about Parvin’s suffering for the last three years by her neighbours over the phone. However, she could not muster up enough courage to come out against her in-laws," said Geeta Shroff, a women’s right activist.