Woman files petition against in-laws for their bizarre 'guidelines' to conceive boy child

KOCHI: A woman has approached the High Court seeking action against her in-laws who gave her 'guidelines' on the first day of her marriage for conceiving a 'good boy'. The 39-year-old resident of Kollam pointed out in the petition that the Director of Prenatal Diagnostic Division and Additional Director of Family Welfare Department did not take action on the complaint against her husband, mother-in-law and father-in-law.

The said woman's in-laws gave the precautions to be taken in sexual intercourse to conceive a boy. It described the appropriate manner and timing of sex. The justification was that if a girl was born, she would become a liability. The marriage was in 2012. The petition given by the woman along with a copy of the letter states that she could not respond during those days as she was a newlywed.

The petitioner was then in London with her husband. She returned home when she became pregnant. After the girl was born in 2014, the abuse from her husband and family increased. The petition also states that the cases are pending in the family court.

Sex determination of unborn babies is a crime in India. The demand in the petition is that action should be taken under the Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques Act, 1994 against the in-laws.

Court shocked

Justice Devan Ramachandran mentioned that it was shocking that there were such views in Kerala too and adjourned the case to February 29 for the explanation of the opposing parties. The single bench also doubted whether the court was the appropriate forum to hear the matter.