First success for #Justice for Vanita campaign: harasser father-in-law caught

MARGAO: Less than 72 hours after Herald began the campaign #JusticeforVanita her father-in-law Ganesh Gaonkar was arrested by Quepem Police on Wednesday afternoon. Ganesh was later admitted to the hospital after he complained of high blood sugar and will be produced for remand on Thursday.

A sustained campaign by Herald on the need to arrest the harasser father-in-law, who made life miserable for Vanita Gaonkar, by demanding the money she received as part of the government’s Laadli Lakshmi scheme played a part in the decision to finally arrest the father-in-law. This could have been done immediately after Vanita died, 13 days after she consumed pesticide in an attempt to end her life.

Herald’s campaign drew wide spread responses, especially among women across Goa.

Ganesh (58) was arrested five days after statements had been recorded and investigations by the police. Quepem Police Inspector Pravin Parab told Herald that Ganesh has been arrested under Section 304 of IPC and is accused of causing a dowry death. “After the mother of the deceased gave a statement of her daughter being harassed by the accused we made the arrest,” Parab said.

The arrest was made following the FIR registered by the police on a complaint filed by Vanita’s mother.

The sub divisional magistrate who recorded statements of witnesses, and was awaiting the post-mortem report could not be contacted till late night.

Vanita died after consuming poison as she was being allegedly harassed by her in-laws for the Laadli Laxmi Scheme money that she had got on marriage. In a dying declaration she had said that she was tired of her in-laws harassment.

Meanwhile, people have reacted strongly to Herald’s campaign #justiceforvanita and reactions have come in from various sources.

Deepa Bharne a housewife from Panjim wrote, “What I feel is in-laws do not have any right on Laadli Laxmi scheme money. Harassing someone till the point the lady commits suicide is too bad and culprits should be punished immediately. Laadli Laxmi scheme is to help girls’ parents to bear the cost of wedding and not the in-laws.”

Ashwini Kamat Tendulkar from Ponda said, “Even though the crime has spread pervasively, taking and giving dowry is still seen as a social evil and it is not treated as an offence. So in most cases, the culprits are not booked in the first place, and those that get booked; are scot free after long years of trial in various courts of law.” 

She added, “To prevent this from spreading, parents should be supportive towards their daughters even after marriage and discourage dowry.”