Gujarat: Married woman elopes with divorced lover, in-laws retaliate by bulldozing six of his houses

Portions of six houses were demolished in Kareli village of Jambusar taluka, Bharuch district, allegedly by the family of a married woman who had eloped with a divorced man from the same village, a TOI report said.

What triggered the demolition?

Mahesh Fulmali, a resident of Kareli, reportedly ran away with the married woman after visiting her father’s village in Anklav taluka, Anand district. Her family soon filed a complaint with Anklav police. When Fulmali’s family failed to present him to the woman’s relatives, they stormed into Fulmali’s neighbourhood. The situation escalated further when one of the accused allegedly slapped Fulmali’s sister.

Around 9 pm on Friday, the woman's family arrived with a bulldozer and began demolishing sheds, toilet blocks, and unattached rooms in front of six houses, including Fulmali's. The accused fled when Fulmali’s family called the police.

Police action

On Saturday, Fulmali's mother, Madhu, lodged a complaint at Vedach police station against six people, including the bulldozer operator, Mahendra Jadav, and five members of the woman's family. Vedach inspector B M Chaudhary stated, "We have booked the accused for causing damage, causing hurt, unlawful assembly, criminal intimidation, and breach of peace under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita."

The accused defend themselves

The woman’s family members argued that they only demolished "illegal constructions" outside the homes since Fulmali's family could not produce him. They also claimed the demolitions happened in the presence of the village sarpanch and deputy sarpanch.

Search for the eloped couple

Anklav police are currently trying to locate Mahesh Fulmali and the woman. "We searched Kareli village but did not find them. We are analysing call records and other leads," said an Anklav police officer.

Meanwhile, police across Gujarat have been cracking down on illegal constructions linked to known offenders on the orders of DGP Vikas Sahay.

Inputs from TOI