Thaindian News

Chandigarh, Nov 15 (IANS) Having failed to secure a stay from the Supreme Court against his arrest in a dowry case filed by his estranged wife, an Indian Army major Tuesday surrendered before a local court here.

The Army officer, Arshad Zeeshan Siddiqui, was sent to policy custody for five days by the court here.

He is presently posted with the Army Aviation Corps in Assam.

Siddiqui claimed that he had divorced his wife, who lives in Chandigarh, May 2009 by saying ‘Talaq’ thrice on the phone.

The investigating officer of the Chandigarh police said that Siddiqui had been taken into custody to make certain recoveries from him.

His wife, who had filed a complaint with the women’s cell of Chandigarh police against him August 2009, said that the army officer and his family had been harassing her for dowry since their marriage in 2006. The couple has a four-year-old son.

Police registered a case of dowry harassment, cruelty and breach of trust against Siddiqui March last year. However, Siddiqui tried to seek anticipatory bail which was rejected by the Punjab and Haryana High Court here and later by the Supreme Court.

The woman, who requested that her identity be protected, said that a number of things were given to him as dowry following persistent demands. She complained about the constant harassment to the Army authorities but Siddiqui was able to convince them that he had divorced her.

She told media here that for her, the marriage was still not over. She said that she wanted the return of the items given in dowry.