An FIR has been registered against a man and his family in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, for demanding a tortoise with 21 toenails and a black Labrador as dowry. According to a Times of India report, the man - an Army jawan who hails from Nashik - had gotten engaged to a woman in February this year. Before the engagement, the bride's family had given Rs 2 lakh cash and 10 grams of gold as dowry to the groom's family.
After the engagement, the groom's family reportedly took Rs 10 lakh from the bride's family under the pretext of getting her a permanent government job. However, not only did the groom's family fail to get the woman a permanent job, they also started escalating their demands and began asking for a tortoise with 21 toenails, one black Labrador dog, a Buddha statue and a samai lamp stand.
According to Times of India, the market value for a 21-nailed tortoise is between Rs 5 to 10 lakh, thanks to the prevailing superstition that this rare reptile brings good luck and fortune.
The woman's family tried looking for the rare tortoise, but were unable to find one. When they told the groom's side of their inability to find such a tortoise, the groom's family called off the marriage. A police complaint was lodged after the woman's family after the man and his family refused to return the valuables given to them.
"The bride's family expressed helplessness to meet the demands, after which the groom's family called off the marriage," Sadhna Avhad, police sub-inspector investigating the case, told Indian Express. "The bride's 55-year-old father approached us and we lodged an FIR under section 420, 406 and 34 of IPC for criminal breach of trust and cheating against the groom and his family members. We may add more sections after investigation," the sub-inspector said.
The man and five members of his family have been booked in the FIR registered on Tuesday.
