Report: Woman claims husband stole her kidney as dowry payment
WEST BENGAL, India -- A West Bengal woman has claimed that her husband stole one of her kidneys to cover the expense of an unpaid dowry, according to the BBC. Rita Sarkar's husband and brother-in-law were subsequently arrested after police investigated the allegations.
Authorities say the husband arranged for Sarkar to have appendicitis surgery two years ago when she suffered stomach pain, according to local media.
"My husband took me to a private nursing home in Kolkata, where he and the medical staff told me that I would be fine after removing my inflamed appendix through surgery," Sarkar told the Hindustan Times. "My husband warned me not to disclose the surgery in Kolkata to anyone."
But last year, two separate medical exams revealed Sarkar was missing her right kidney.
"I then understood why my husband implored me to keep quiet about the surgery," she continued. "He sold my kidney because my family couldn't meet his demand for dowry."
Sarkar says her husband made frequent demands for money and allegedly abused her for several years because of the dowry issue.
Dowries, which are typically paid from a bride's family to her husband's family, has been banned in India since 1961, according to the BBC.