Help Mitu Protect Her Twin Daughters

I got married to Dr Kamal Khurana in 2004. In January 2005 I became pregnant. An ultrasound showed that I was carrying twins. Then my mother-in-law started demanding that I undergo a sex determination test. I was even tortured to get it done. So my in-laws and husband got it done by deception.

Once my inlaws came to know I am carrying two daughters, My mother-in-law asked me many times to at least get one child killed in-utero. I was even kept without food and water. My mother-in- law even told me that my two daughters would be a big burden on the family and I should get them aborted. If not both, she said get at least one aborted. When I refused she said at least give one of them for adoption. After three incidents where they tried to compel me to abort and misbehaved with me, my father took me to his house.

Due all the tension, I delivered two-pre term daughters on August 11 2005. I tried many times to go back to my in-law`s house. However, there was a lot of verbal abuse and I had no help in looking after the children. My mother-in-law even deliberately pushed down my 4-month-old daughter from the staircase and pretended it was an accident.

Fortunately I was able to hold her carry cot and save her from harm. They never showed any love or affection towards them. I had complained to the police station during my pregnancy about the sex determination test conducted and the pressure to have an abortion. I had also complaint to crime against women cell in March 2006. On April 10 2008, I filed a complaint to the Women`s Commissions, the health minister, and various N.G.Os. On May 9 2008, I filed a complaint with C.D.M.O. On June 5, I got reply to a RTI application that the Central Monitoring Committee along with District Appropriate Authority (NORTH WEST DELHI) had raided the hospital on 3rd June 2008, and again I got a reply from District Appropriate Authority that during raid it was found that no form F was filed. No action was taken against the hospital, but I was being harassed by the authorities to withdraw my complaints.

I filed a private case under P.C-PNDT act in November 2008. In January 2009, the appropriate authority also filed a case against Jaipur Golden Hospital. Now both cases are pending in the court. On 21st October 2009, the court took cognizance against the director of Jaipur Golden Hospital. On 26th October My husband and in-laws filed for custody of the daughters in order to save themselves from hands of law.

My daughters have in the meantime fully recovered from all the domestic violence they not only witnessed but were also victims off. They are now doing excellent in the school, and in extra-curricular activities. The Honorable judge in Divorce case, tried her best to convince me to withdraw my criminal complaints against my husband. On my refusal to do so, she threatened me that she will order that I have to bring my daughters to court on every date. I am attaching a copy of her orders, and my reply thereof with this petition.

Even in visitation case, husband is being granted visitation, without any regards to the safety of the children. I am afraid that he may try to harm them or emotionally blackmail me into forcing me to withdraw my cases against him. I need help in protecting my daughters. I have been fighting all along for five years since I conceived them, to save their lives. Now I am afraid, the fight is just not against my husband and in-laws, it is also against a patriarchal mindset, which believes the rights of the father are to be safeguarded, even if he tried to kill the children. I need help in protecting my daughters, because authorities want me to withdraw my cases, which I do not want to do.

My case has been covered by the media (all media coverage has been collected and is on-www.mitukhurana.wordpress.com). I do not want to give the message to any woman, who would want to save her daughters, that DO NOT TRY TO SAVE YOUR DAUGHTERS-THE SYSTEM WILL NOT SUPPORT YOU, BUT HAND OVER YOUR DAUGHTERS TO THE VERY PERSONS WHO WANTED TO KILL THEM IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Dr Mitu Khurana