In Indian culture, it is customary, and somewhat considered to be legally required for the family of the bride to pay the groom’s family with a dowry, usually paid with a large sum of money.
The family of Rita Sarkar, a 28 year old Indian women did not pay her husband’s family the traditional dowry, which he would complain about on a regular basis to her. However, she never believed that his distress about the situation would lead him to go to extreme criminal measures. She unfortunately thought wrong, and he stole her kidney for the dowry that had not been paid.
Sarkar has reported to the public that for the past few years, the unpaid dowry has led her husband as well as his family to abuse her. She explains that she simply became used to it, and did not think that he would go to any go to any other lengths to get the money he felt was his.
Sarkar explains that two years ago she suffered from stomach pain, which is why her husband took her to a nursing home. The medical team told her she would feel better if she were to remove her appendix through a surgical process.
The surgery went smoothly, however Rita started to notice that something was off when her husband ordered her to keep the operation secret from everyone. Rita began to experience sharp pain in her back, and her husband refused to take her to the doctor even after begging and begging. He forced her to stay at home and away from her friends and family.
Her husband’s suspicious behavior finally made sense when Rita’s family took her to a medical center where she was given an ultrasound. The screening revealed that she was missing her right kidney.
She then very clearly understood the situation and what her husband had done because of the dowry, or lack there of.
Rita’s father claims that at the time of their wedding, her family did offer his family gold, silver and rupees, but his family only wanted more and more.
Sarkar filed a police complaint and her husband as well as his brother were arrested for trading human organs and detaining a woman.
Her husband, during his interrogation confessed to having sold her kidney to an international buyer, but says that it was completely legal because Rita signed a consent form.
Rita explains that she was most likely drugged through a soft drink that he gave her before signing any form. She is currently quite sick with her left kidney now infected due to the removal of the right one, and is now under treatment.
This type of cruelty is completely unexplainable, especially as they have an 11 year old son together.