Sweta says victim was her 'daughter-in-law', denies charges for nefarious activities
Telegraph | 13 June 2025
Two prime suspects in the alleged five-month confinement and torture of a young woman will be interrogated in police custody as investigators probe their so-called event management company and uncover their motives, police said on Thursday.
Sweta Khan and her son Aryan have been arrested in connection with the brutal treatment of a woman from Sodepur, who is now fighting for her life in the critical care unit of a state-run hospital in Kamarhati.
Sweta was arrested near Alipore court on Wednesday night while allegedly attempting to meet someone for shelter. She has denied the charges, claiming the victim was “my daughter-in-law”.
“I never hurt her. I didn’t slap her even once. I’m being framed,” Sweta told reporters while being taken to Howrah court Thursday afternoon. “O amar baritey bou hoye chhilo (She stayed at my house as my daughter-in-law). We were not aware that she was divorced and had a child. She was planted at our house by someone to frame me.”
Public anger was evident as Sweta was brought to court. A woman from among the protesters managed to slap her twice before police intervened. Crowds demanded capital punishment as she was taken to the lockup.
According to the victim’s family, Sweta would severely beat the woman with rods, choppers, and even a grinding stone for failing to perform household chores during her confinement. Her son Aryan allegedly witnessed these beatings. The torture reportedly included cutting off tufts of the victim’s hair.
Since her arrest, police say Sweta has repeatedly changed her statements to mislead investigators. She initially admitted to beating the woman, claiming “it is all right to beat up the girl in your house,” before later denying any physical abuse.
After hearing arguments, the court granted police custody for eight days. Aryan had been remanded in police custody a day earlier.
Both Sweta and Aryan face serious charges, including attempt to murder, inflicting grievous injuries, wrongful confinement, and outraging the victim’s modesty.
“We will interrogate both Sweta and Aryan to understand how the victim ended up at their Domjur apartment, why she was kept confined for several months, and the extent of the alleged mental and physical abuse,” said a senior Howrah City Police officer.
The investigation will include examining the Domjur apartment where the alleged torture occurred and retrieving CCTV footage from the area.
A key focus will be the suspects’ claimed event management company. The victim reportedly was offered employment there before being asked to perform what police describe as “dubious activities”.
“We will investigate this company thoroughly — when it was established, its financial records, and business operations,” the officer added.
The case came to light on June 7 when the victim’s parents filed an FIR at Khardah police station, hours after their critically injured daughter escaped her captors and reached home. The arrests followed five days later.
The woman remains in critical condition as the investigation continues into what authorities describe as one of the most disturbing cases of alleged prolonged captivity and torture in recent memory.