Authorities in Gonda district, Uttar Pradesh, have filed charges against a man and six of his relatives following serious allegations from his wife regarding dowry harassment and an alleged secret second marriage.

The case involves Savita Pathak from Khajuri village, who wed Ranjit Tiwari on June 2, 2025. According to police sources cited by PTI, Pathak has made several disturbing allegations against her husband and his family.

Pathak claims that harassment began shortly after her wedding ceremony. She alleges that her husband, along with his mother, brother, sister, and two other family members, demanded additional dowry payments and subjected her to continuous pressure.

The situation reportedly escalated when Ranjit allegedly formed a relationship with another woman from a village under Chhapia police jurisdiction. According to the complaint, on June 27, Ranjit disappeared with this woman and subsequently married her in secret with his family's knowledge and support.

When Pathak confronted her husband and in-laws about the situation, she claims they responded with verbal abuse, taunts about insufficient dowry, and death threats. Following these incidents, she returned to her parents' home.

Initially, when Pathak's family approached authorities on August 31 to file a complaint, no immediate action was taken. However, following intervention from senior police officials, the case has now been formally registered.

Ram Samujh Prabhakar, Station House Officer at Chhapia, confirmed that charges have been filed against Ranjit Tiwari and six family members under applicable sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, following directions from the district superintendent of police. The investigation remains ongoing.

This incident adds to a series of unusual marital disputes reported from the Gonda district. Earlier in April 2025, another case gained attention when a 44-year-old woman eloped with her daughter's former fiancé, a man nearly 20 years her junior, just days before her daughter's scheduled wedding to another person.

That case involved Usha Devi, who disappeared on April 25, prompting a missing person report and a multi-district police search before she was eventually reunited with her husband.