'He Wanted My Salary': Delhi Police Officer Who Tweeted on Husband's Assault

A Delhi Police sub-inspector was allegedly beaten by her husband outside their house in Dwarka, after which she tweeted an SOS message on Monday, 12 December.

(Screenshot: Twitter/DoliTevathia)

(Trigger Warning: Mentions of assault. Reader discretion advised.)

Delhi Police sub-inspector Doli Tevathia got married to advocate Tarun Dabas on 21 April 2021 – and soon he started demanding that she provide her entire salary and ATM card to him. It was when she refused to give him access to it, the alleged harassment and abuse started.

On Monday, 12 December, SI Tevathia tweeted an SOS message on Twitter after she was allegedly beaten by her husband outside her home in Dwarka.

She posted a video on Twitter, where a man can be seen hitting and pushing her in a residential lane. The sub-inspector is currently on maternity leave, and is in the post-partum period.

Following her viral tweet, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) Vikram Singh said an FIR has been registered at the Najafgarh police station under Sections 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 341(punishment for wrongful restraint), 427 (mischief causing damage to the amount of fifty rupees) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation).

"It would all start because I was late to return home from duty. Or just anything actually. He would beat me up, or assault me. He wanted my ATM card because he wanted to have an upper hand over me," Tevathia told The Quint.

She added that she had told her husband that she would contribute to household expenses, but he did not relent in his demand for her ATM card.

"From past several months I am facing this abuse constantly. Tarun Dabas is an advocate and says no one can arrest him," the police officer had alleged.

'He Demanded 4 Lakh for Birth of Son, Got Goons To My Parents' House'

Dabas had allegedly demanded Rs 4 lakh from SI Tevathia and her family for the birth of their son, the SI told The Quint.

When Tevathia's brother Sumit Kumar had visited her marital home to see her two-months-old baby, Dabas asked for more money from her family. His sister-in-law and mother-in-law also used to harass her, Tevathia alleged.

The incident had prompted the police officer to move back in with her parents. "I could not take the repeated harassment," she said.

The police officer told The Quint that on two occasions – 4 and 11 September, her husband had come with goons to her parents' Najafgarh house, and had threatened to beat her family up. She claimed that her family had called the PCR on both days, and a local inquiry officer was assigned on 4 September. However, no action was taken after that.

"The inquiry officer must have closed the case. No one reached out to talk to me. They must have thought it is just a family matter. I also used to think he is doing it out of aggression. I am in postpartum and not in a state to follow up," the sub-inspector said.

Tevathia's brother Kumar said that the family had earlier filed two complaints with the police – one in Dwarka (where Dabas lived) and the other with the joint commissioner of Rohini. "But, no action was taken earlier," he claimed.

What Did the Video on Twitter Show?

SI Doli Tevathia has posted a video on Twitter on Monday which allegedly shows her being assaulted by her husband.

In the CCTV camera clip, a man and a woman are in a heated argument in a residential lane, during which the latter takes out the side view mirror of his car. The man is then seen hitting and pushing her.

"Even the police are forced to seek help on Twitter... If the police are not safe then how will the common women be safe?" said Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal, taking cognisance of the matter.

The Quint has reached out to Dabas over the allegations. The copy will be updated with his response.