Gujarat woman raped by father-in-law, relative ‘to help conceive’ after husband's low sperm count

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A woman from Vadodara, Gujarat, has accused her father-in-law and a male relative of repeatedly raping her over several months under the pretext of assisting her to conceive, following revelations that her husband’s sperm count was too low. The shocking allegations emerged after the woman, 40, lodged a First Information Report (FIR) with the Navapura police, TOI reported.

According to the details in the FIR, the woman married in February 2024 and moved into her husband's family home. Within weeks, her in-laws allegedly raised concerns about her ability to become pregnant due to her age and suggested fertility treatment. Subsequent medical tests indicated her husband's sperm count was “too low”, and the couple’s attempts at in vitro fertilisation (IVF) proved unsuccessful. When the woman refused further medical intervention and expressed her willingness to adopt, TOI reported her in-laws rejected the suggestion.

The situation escalated in July 2024, when, as per the complaint cited by TOI, her father-in-law allegedly entered her room at night and raped her. Despite the trauma, her husband is said to have dismissed her account, stating, “he wanted a child” and reportedly warned her to stay silent about the incident. The woman further accused her husband of blackmail, alleging that he threatened to release her intimate photographs if she reported the crime.

The nightmare continued over the next few months. The FIR details that her father-in-law sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, but she did not conceive. Then, in December 2024, the woman was allegedly raped by her sister-in-law’s husband, who, according to the FIR, also repeated the abuse in the ensuing months. In June 2025, she became pregnant, but tragically suffered a miscarriage in July.

Unable to bear the continued abuse, the woman approached police in the final week of July. Following a preliminary investigation, the Navapura police officially registered the FIR on Sunday, TOI reported.