A 26-year-old woman from Gaziabad, Shanu (also referred to as Shanvi), has complained to her husband, Shivam Ujjawal, and his family, alleging severe physical, mental, and emotional abuse. The woman claims that she was forced to exercise for hours daily and subjected to strict restrictions as her husband expected her to have a body like Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi.

According to Shanu, her ordeal began soon after her arranged marriage on March 6, 2025. Her family reportedly spent over Rs 76 lakh on the wedding, including Rs 16 lakh in jewellery, a Mahindra Scorpio worth Rs 24 lakh, and Rs 10 lakh in cash as part of the dowry. Despite this, her married life quickly turned into a nightmare.

Shanu alleges that her in-laws kept her constantly occupied with household chores, denied her privacy, and did not allow her to spend time with her husband. On several occasions, she faced verbal and physical abuse from her husband and family. She recalls one incident when she forgot to put on a mosquito net, after which Shivam assaulted her and her in-laws verbally abused her.

Shanu also claimed that her husband, a government school physical education teacher, is a womaniser who frequently watches inappropriate videos of women online. She was allegedly forced to exercise for three hours daily and denied food if she failed to meet the targets.

The situation worsened when Shanu discovered she was pregnant. She alleges that her sister-in-law, Ruchi, forced her to take a pill that led to an abortion. She also claims she was fed curd with spices that caused her throat to burn, further endangering her health. On July 9, she reportedly suffered a miscarriage due to excessive blood loss.

Shanu has accused her husband and his family of demanding more cash, jewellery, and property, and of abusing her verbally and physically when she refused. She said she was repeatedly called “ugly” and “fat” and forced to apologise for standing up to their abusive behaviour.

After being taken back by her parents on June 18, Shanu said her in-laws threatened her with divorce and refused to return her jewellery and belongings. On August 14, she formally registered a complaint, seeking a probe into the alleged mental, emotional, and physical torture, dowry demands, forced abortion, and harassment.

The Ghaziabad police have reportedly taken cognisance of the complaint, and the matter is under investigation.a