Bengaluru, Nov 26: A Bengaluru homemaker named Vidya A., aged 37, accused her husband and father-in-law of injecting mercury into her body.

Before passing away on Monday, November 24, Vidya called the Attibele police and narrated the ordeal. Acting swiftly, the statement of the woman was recorded.

Mother of a four-year old, the victim claimed that her husband, Basavaraju M, a businessman, used to scold her, but to her surprise, Basavaraju showed affection to her in the evening of February 26. She became unconscious shortly after.

The victim further stated that on the evening of February 27, she woke up with severe pain in her right thigh. A visible mark suggested that she might have been injected with a substance. Concerned, she sought medical help at the Attibele Government Hospital, where doctors examined her and advised immediate admission to Oxford Hospital for further evaluation and treatment.

"I had to undergo regular dialysis. My husband and father-in-law tortured me, calling me a mad woman. With the intention to murder, they injected mercury into my right thigh," she told the police.

After observation, the doctors at Oxford Hospital had also confirmed the presence of mercury in the body, said a senior police official.

After spending one-and-a-half months in the hospital, the victim was transferred to Victoria Hospital, the senior police official added.

Her statements was converted into an formal FIR under "attempt to murder" in November 23. Later, a case was filed under sections 85 and 109 (1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). After her death, the police added Section 80, which addresses dowry death, the police added.

A police officer further stated, “The post-mortem has been completed, and we are yet to get the reports from the doctors officially. The Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) reports are pending. We will continue to further probe the matter. We have recorded her video statement, which she gave on Sunday.”

(By Satabhisa Jena)