RTI plea nails Naroda resident’s second marriage: Harassed homemaker discovers through RTI plea her husband’s second marriage; this will help her fight legal battle against him and in-laws who forced her to leave their house.

Ahmedabad Mirror: Ahmedabad: Thursday, November 01, 2012.

A harassed homemaker has used RTI Act to ascertain the second marriage of her husband which would serve as an evidence in her legal fight against him and in-laws. Though thrown out her house, she is determined to fight for justice for self and her two sons.

Thirty-five-year-old Neelam Goswami discovered through an RTI application her husband Amit, a Naroda resident who is currently in Singapore, had married Pooja Kelaiya at Rajkot in November 2008. Life was never easy for Neelam.

When she married Amit on February 15, 2001, her parents gave 17 tolas of gold and Rs 35,000 in cash as dowry. Their first child Rohan was born in 2002. However, soon Amit lost his job and this initiated the turbulent phase for Neelam. He sold 13 tolas of gold and went to Malaysia to try his fortune there. Back home, Neelam was always harassed by her in-laws Hemlata and Dinesh Puri.

Meanwhile Amit was apparently always into wrong ways. He was jailed for six months in Kuala Lampur for travelling illegally to Malaysia. After his return he, too, harassed Neelam and demanded her to get Rs 50,000 from her parents and she had to finally give in. During this time, they had their second son, Prathmesh.

Later, Amit started a visa company ‘Ambitious Consultants’. He made frequent professional trips to Chennai, Singapore and Malaysia. In 2007, when he once came back from Singapore, Neelam found a love letter from his bag which was written by Puja. When she enquired with him, he said that they loved each other and would get married soon.

Neelam was shell shocked. But her tragedies did not end there. Her husband and in-laws continued to harass her and on March 1, 2008, she was thrown out of the home. She came to her parents’ home along with her sons. She tried for reconciliation with her in-laws on several occasions, but all her efforts were in vain due to the adamant attitude of her in-laws.

In January 2009, Amit sent her the divorce papers. However, she refused to sign them in spite of facing even death threats. Completely depressed and dejected with her life, she tried to commit suicide but was taken to LG hospital and saved. When this incident took place, Amit and her in-laws were arrested by the police. However, seeing that situation was turning dangerous, her inlaws relented and made a truce with her.

On May 1, all the cases by Neelam against her in-laws were taken back. Amit however did not give up his old habits. He started a visa office in city with a branch at Rajkot and was caught in a Rs 80-lakh scam. A criminal case was lodged against him.

Things worsened after this and the truce shattered. Meanwhile, the issue of Amit’s second marriage again became prominent as she realised that he had a son from his second wife. Thereafter, she took the help of RTI and found that Amit had already married Pooja Keliya in Rajkot in November 2008.

Mahila Police Station ASI Savita Vaniya said, “We have received an application and started the investigations.” Neelam said that she would fight for justice till the end against the injustice meted out to her and to ensure good life of her two children.