‘They must prove I beat my wife’: Gujarat man ‘begs’ for justice in final video before jumping off 1,700ft cliff | Thane News
THANE: In a 13-minute video recorded before his death, Vishwrajsinh, who worked at the Timba post office, alleged that he and his family were subjected to harassment over a domestic violence case filed by his wife.Gohil died by suicide after jumping from the Konkankada cliff at Harishchandragad on October 12, plunging into a nearly 1,700-foot-deep gorge on the border of Thane, Pune and Ahilyanagar districts.He questioned the way complaints under laws dealing with domestic violence and marital disputes were handled, claimed that allegations against him and his family were fabricated, and appealed for changes to the law.“Today, I am going to jump into this valley and end my life,” he said at the beginning of the video, describing the emotional toll of his marital dispute.“When you can no longer see any hope in life, your inner self breaks. We say that marriage is a sacred relationship that is meant to be sustained for many lifetimes. All this sounds good when spoken and written. In modern times, when two people’s views, natures and habits do not match and conflicts arise, they get divorced,” he said.Arguing that provisions intended to protect women were being misused, he claimed, “90% of cases under Section 498 for domestic violence are fake. There is no basis, no evidence and they are entirely verbal.” He alleged that the law had become a means of exerting mental, physical and financial pressure on husbands and their families.“Since this weapon came into the hands of daughters and their families, it has been misused. Sons-in-law are subjected to mental, physical and financial pressure and forced to die,” he said.
‘The law is said to be weak, and people have to be afraid of matters such as marriage’
Recalling conversations with two friends before his marriage, Vishwrajsinh said they had asked him, “Bapu, what did you see before getting married?”“I said, ‘The girl should be sensible.’ I had no idea that this would be the calm before such a huge tsunami. This was precisely what they were afraid of,” he said.Questioning the response of the authorities to marital disputes, he added, “What does the authority do? The law is said to be weak, and people have to be afraid of matters such as marriage.”He denied allegations that he, his mother and his younger brother had assaulted his wife, claiming that the complaint portrayed routine disagreements as instances of severe physical abuse.“The case states that my mother, my brother and I would beat her severely over every little matter. This is completely fabricated, and the police are not even seeking evidence. The law is tilted in favour of the daughter,” he alleged.He argued that women should not automatically be considered the weaker party in marital disputes and cited incidents in Jamnagar and Delhi, as well as cases involving alleged violence against husbands, to support his demand for a review of the law.“Women are capable of everything — lust, greed and anger — so why is the law still tilted in their favour?” he asked.He also alleged that the authorities at a reconciliation office had taken his wife’s family’s side in a dispute over gold. “The girl’s family says that our gold is with them, while I say that we have witnesses,” he said, adding that he had repeatedly faced pressure over the matter.Describing the circumstances in which his wife left their home, he claimed that her family had taken her away despite her saying, “I do not want to go with you. They have not done anything to me.”He alleged that her position had subsequently changed and questioned the lack of action over his family’s claims regarding the gold. “They are demanding their gold from us, but no pressure is being applied to get our gold back. We have witnesses,” he said.He also alleged that his wife’s family had abused his mother. “All these are offences. Forcing someone to die is also an offence,” he said, demanding that the allegations against him and his family be proved.“Let them prove that I, my brother or my mother brutally beat her. If we had beaten her, she would have gone to hospital, wouldn’t she?” he said.
‘When you marry off a daughter, you do so for the sake of her life’
Vishwrajsinh accused his wife’s parents of disrespecting him and intimidating him during the dispute.“When her parents dragged my wife away, they showed no respect for me as their son-in-law. Whether on the phone or in person, they show no respect — only arrogance and intimidation,” he said.He recalled his father-in-law, Ajaysinh, telling him, “I am like your father.”“Fine. Would my father rob me? My father would give me opportunities and forgive me,” Vishwrajsinh said, expressing concern about the future of his parents and younger brother after his death.“When I die, what will happen to my parents and my brother?” he asked.He rejected allegations that he had tortured his wife and accused her family of treating minor disagreements as abuse.“Today they say, ‘Not your father’; tomorrow they will say, ‘Not your mother.’ Have you built your daughter’s family, or do you intend to trample over me?” he said.Appealing to members of the Darbar community, he said, “The Darbar community does not understand that when you marry off a daughter, you do so for the sake of her life. They label every minor issue as torture.”He also questioned why his 16-year-old brother had been named in a domestic violence case. “They did so because they have no fear,” he alleged.
‘People will keep dying, they are mere insects’
In the final portion of the video, Vishwrajsinh appealed to people in Bhavnagar to speak up about what he described as the misuse of the law and its consequences for men and their families.“People of Bhavnagar, wake up. Today, I am a Darbar’s son. My friends who are trapped in this web are afraid. If you have a son and do not want his future ruined, share this and change the law,” he said.Claiming that cases under Section 498 were costing lives, he called the provision discriminatory towards women and challenged people to examine its implementation.“My father-in-law Ajaysinh used to say, ‘You should fear God.’ Yes, but if you had feared God, you would not have taken this step. You have no fear,” he said.Addressing legal authorities, he urged them to intervene and bring about changes.“Those who are legal authorities, take note and bring about some change, otherwise people will keep dying like this. They died in other states; now they will die here,” he said.“People will keep dying, they are mere insects,” he added, warning that other families could face similar circumstances.“Think about ensuring justice for the family of anyone who dies. Today, my family has become a victim. Think carefully, lest someone else fall prey. If you make this news, there will be reforms. This fear will remain. My friends will now break into a sweat. Do not ruin the lives of young people. I beg you. Give justice to me and my family,” he said.The allegations in the video reflect Vishwrajsinh’s account of the marital dispute and have not been independently established in the material provided. His claims about the proportion of false cases and the conduct of the police and other authorities could not be independently verified.
