A shocking case from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, has surfaced where a woman alleged that her husband forced her to exercise for three hours daily to achieve a body like Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi. According to the complaint, failure to follow this routine meant she would be denied food.

The woman, identified as Shanu, married Shivam Ujjawal, a government school physical education teacher, on March 6 in an arranged marriage for which her family reportedly spent over ₹76 lakh, including ₹16 lakh worth of jewellery, a ₹24 lakh Mahindra Scorpio, and ₹10 lakh in cash.

Soon after marriage, Shanu claimed her life turned into a nightmare. Her in-laws kept her busy with household chores, restricted her from going out with her husband, and hurled abuses at her. Shivam allegedly told her she had ruined his life as he believed he could have easily married someone like Nora Fatehi. He regularly body-shamed her, watched objectionable videos of women online, and physically abused her.

For a “Nora Fatehi-like body,” Shanu said she was forced to exercise for three hours daily, and on days she failed, she was denied food. She was also never allowed to close her bedroom door, and her father-in-law would enter unannounced, citing the need to “check on his son.”

The woman further alleged continuous dowry demands, including cash, land, jewellery, and appliances. When she resisted, she faced more torture and was insulted for her looks. Shanu recounted an incident when Shivam hit her with a diary and, instead of scolding him, her in-laws demanded new clothes and an OTG from her maternal home.

The situation worsened when Shanu became pregnant. Instead of celebrating, her in-laws allegedly forced her to take an abortion pill provided by her sister-in-law. “Shivam said if he cannot accept me, how will he accept my child,” she stated. After consuming the pill and certain spiced food, she fell severely ill and later suffered a miscarriage.

On June 18, her parents took her home after noticing her deteriorating health. Shivam and his family then allegedly threatened her with divorce. When she returned to her in-laws on July 26, she was denied entry and her belongings were not returned.

On August 14, Shanu filed a police complaint accusing her husband and in-laws of mental, physical, and emotional abuse, dowry harassment, abetment to miscarriage, and threats. She has demanded strict action.