04.01.2010 Woman in India Commits Suicide After Coercive Abortion

January 4 2010

Woman in India Commits Suicide After Coercive Abortion

 
Mumbai, India (LifeNews.com) — An Indian woman has killed herself following an abortion she obtained after pressure form her husband, who did not want children. Sarika Powar, reportedly committed suicide on Sunday by hanging herself in her Santa Cruz home after having the abortion she didn't really want.
 
The DNA news agency indicates Powar's husband and mother-in-law have both been arrested following a complaint from her father.
 
He told police that Powar's husband Umesh Powar, 24, and mother-in-law Pratiksha, 40 had put tremendous pressure on the young woman since their marriage just months ago.
 
Jitendra Kamble, the assistant police inspector of the Vakola police station, related to DNA what happened.
 
“Around 6 p.m. on Sunday, when Powar returned home, he found the door locked from inside. He knocked several times, but when there was no response, he peeped in through a window to find Sarika hanging from the ceiling,” Kamble said.
 
“Umesh then requested his neighbor’s kid to go inside through the window to open the door. He rushed Sarika to a nearby hospital, where she was declared dead before admission,” Kamble added.
 
“Powar and his mother Pratiksha have been arrested and charged under section 498(A) of the IPC. After being produced in court on Monday, both have been remanded in police custody till January 9th” the police official explained.
 
Another, unnamed, police offer, told the news outlet about the coerced abortion.
 
“Sarika and Powar were married a few months ago. Sarika wanted children, but Umesh was not willing to be a father yet. Because of this, he made her undergo an abortion about three months ago,” the official said.
 
Studies have consistently shown that abortion makes it more likely that women will consider suicide, especially if the abortion take place under pressured or coerced circumstances.