Bride Says Marriage Was Arranged in Hell
Bride Says Marriage Was Arranged in Hell
(CN) - A young woman sued her in-laws-by-arranged-marriage, claiming they brought her to the United States from India in a blatant act of human trafficking, then consigned her to "modern-day slavery."
Diptiben Mistry was a college student studying hotel and tourism management when she and her family met defendants Chandrakant and Nilam Udwadia in Navsai, Gujarat, India in January 2007. After meeting for just 30 minutes, she says, her father agreed that she would marry the Udwadias' son, Himansu. The only provision was that she be allowed to complete her remaining year in college and earn her bachelor's degree. The Udwadias agreed and the wedding took place a week later.
But things quickly went downhill, Mistry says.
"Defendants fraudulently induced Mistry to marry their son, Himansu Udwadia,
misrepresenting the terms of marriage," the complaint states. "Defendants then transported Mistry from India to their home in the United States. Using psychological coercion, physical violence, and threats of divorce and return to India as a stigmatized woman, Defendants forced Mistry to provide daily domestic labor for them, in violation of international, federal, and state laws.
http://www.courthousenews.com/2012/01/13/43033.htm
