Mohan Kuthar
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore (EP)
Mangalore, Oct 23: A week after her 'marriage' to a boy from another community, Vivita Sonia D'Souza, daughter of Patrick D'Souza of Amblamogaru in Mangalore, issued a statement to the media on Thursday October 23, explaining her alleged abduction, harassment and forced marriage at the hands of several men, including the husband Roshan Shetty.
File Photo
"I stay in Amblamogaru grama with my parents and brothers. I am working in a travel agency after my degree education and my marriage is to be held in December. I have quit my job and have been staying at home for the last one week. I am acquainted with a person known as Roshan through the Facebook account of his elder sister. He used to chat with me through his sister's account and called me often, and one day called and said that he was in need of some money. I went to Laxmi Fancy, Market Road, Mangalore, where he is working, on October 15 at about 10 am. I gave him the Rs 6,000 that he asked for. Soon after that, he made me drink some juice and forced me into a Maruti Omni," said Vivita in her statement.
"The car was driven by Praveen Kuthar and along with others named Sharath Amblamogaru and Ganesh Kumpala, he took me to a finance company belonging to Dinesh in Kadri. There were nearly 10 men besides those four people. All of them together took me to a room in the finance company. They insisted that I should marry Roshan and convert to Hinduism. They threatened to kill me and my family if I did not do what they wanted. Ganesh Kumpala and Sharath Amblamogaru threatened me with knives and swords. When I did not listen, Praveen Kuthar showed me a machine with a charge and threatened to give me an electric shock. They kept me in the same room for another hour," is what Vivita stated.
"On the same day, in the afternoon, at about 3 pm, Roshan, Praveen, Ganesh, and Sharath took me to a house in Moodbidri in the Maruthi Omni car. There were nearly ten men in two different vehicles ahead of us and behind us. They took me to a house and to a room inside it. The ten men asked me to marry Roshan and threatened to kill me and my family by weilding various weapons. Besides this, Praveen, Ganesh, and Sharath physically harassed me and acted as if they will sexually harass me. When I refused, they detained me in the room. As I did not have a mobile, I could not contact anybody. The next day, on the morning of October 16, at 11 am, I was taken in a Xylo car by Roshan, Praveen, Sharath and Ganesh to Arya Bhavan on Arya Samaj Road, Mangalore. They took all the records from my bag and my photo and forced me to sign an unknown document. They took me to a lawyer's office at Jyothi Circle and the four people forced me to sign and put my thumb impression on a document prepared by lawyers. After that, at about 4 pm, they took me to the house belonging to Praveen Kuthar at Gorigudde. They detained me there for sometime and made me come to Arya Samaj at about 5.30 pm. Meanwhile, Konaje police came there and asked me to come to the police station," said Vivita’s statement.
"At that time, a person named Jagadish Shenava came close to me and asked me not to go to the police station and to tell them that I am getting married of my free will. He threatened to kill me and my family if I do not do as he said. Besides Shenava, the people connected to Sooraj International School were present. They have also threatened me and made me sign some records. The police who came there took my signature on 2-3 records. After that, they took me to a house in Thumbe around 9 pm and detained me in a room. Roshan, Praveen, Sharath, and Ganesh who were there have caused me mental agony. The people brought me in a Ritz car to the DC office in Mangalore at 10 am the next day and forced me to sign and took my thumb impression on some documents. After that they made me sit in the office till about 8 pm. They then took me to a house in Attavar at 9 pm. The four people mentioned earlier were there. They tried to sexually assault and harass me," she said in her statement.
"The next day, that is on the morning of October 18, I was taken to the office of Dinesh at 10 am and made to sit there till 5 pm. They took me to Konaje police station at 6 pm. They took my signature there and took me to a house in Moodbidri at 9 pm. They harassed me mentally and physically there and forced me to say in front of the police that I am getting married of my own accord.
The next day, on October 19, they took me to Mangalore at about 5 am and after taking a room in Global Residency, they made Roshan and me sit there. When Roshan went for a bath at 8.30 am, I opened the door and came home with the help of my elder brother. I pray to the Almighty that no girl should face such a situation. I have already met Mangalore police commissioner and Karnataka home minister and explained the injustice meted out on me," said Vivita.