ITAHARI: While women's organisations across the country organised various programmes to mark the 100th International Women's Day, 18-year-old Sarada BK of Itahari-5 was sharing her grief to journalists.

BK's mother-in-law who is also a regional-level leader of the CPN-UML, has been assaulting her physically for long, she said.

"They thrashed me with slippers and broom indiscriminately when I was pregnant also, but I remained silent," she said.

"My son is five months old but they do not let me enter the house even today; they pounce on me whenever I go to the house," she lamented.

Ram Kumari BK, Sarada's mother-in-law, who has been allegedly torturing BK, is Area No-2 member of the CPN-UML. Ram Kumari is a member of the Para-Legal CPN-UML wing, working against violence against women. However, her daughter-in-law is taking shelter in her maternal home to keep herself safe.

BK had a relationship with Sambhu Biswakarma, the eldest son of Ram Kumari. She got pregnant and Shambhu had accepted her as wife in an all-party meeting held in the presence of the police. "However, Sambhu left the house 15 days after I entered the house," she lamented.

"My mother-in-law and sister-in-law beat me up daily after he left home,'' she said, adding, "I tolerated as much as I can, but they never stopped."

"The torture was more after I gave birth to a son on October 10 last year," she added. "Nobody took care of my son. My sister in-law barred me from entering the house when I returned from my maternal home.''

Locals and human rights activists had helped her go back home, but Ram Kumari chased her away within a couple of days.

Local Sanila Shrestha said, "We are amazed to know that a woman leader inflicts violence against her daughter-in-law.'' She demanded action against Ram Kumari. The couple registered their marriage at Itahari Municipality on March 2. Shrestha claimed that Shambhu left the house at the behest of his mother Ram Kumari. She also said that women rights activists will launch a protest if BK did not get justice.

Meanwhile, Laxmi Gautam, women department chief of the CPN-UML in Sunsari, admitted that she had received an application against Ram Kumari BK.

"Sarada was sent back home but we have heard that Ram Kumari chased her away from the house again; we will seek justice for Sarada at any cost," she said.

Victim Sarada, however, lamented that she got no help although she lodged complaints with the Para-Legal wing of the party.

"Nobody listened to me as my mother-in-law is a leader of the party," she said.

Meanwhile, Ram Kumari said that her son Shambhu made a mistake. She also said that she was compelled to accept Sarada as her daughter-in-law. She said she was ready to give Sarada a share of her property. She, however, denied not allowing her to stay in the house.

"I don't know where my son is right now; we made a mistake and we are now ready to give her due rights," she said.