KBC 18: Bilaspur dowry case survivor wins Rs 7.5 lakh, recalls ‘agni kaand’ by in-laws

KBC 18: Kapila Taneja from Bilaspur successfully won Rs 7.5 lakh on Amitabh Bachchan's show Kaun Banega Crorepati 18. She shared a traumatic episode from her past.

KBC 18: The latest episode of Amitabh Bachchan-hosted Kaun Banega Crorepati 18 saw a contestant from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, named Kapila Taneja. During the episode, Kapila shared her story of domestic violence as she recalled how her in-laws tried to set her on fire and separated her from her daughter. She said that her in-laws were vehemently against her marriage and expected a dowry from her parents, which eventually led to Kapila nearly losing her life.

On the show, Kapila managed to win Rs 7.5 lakh, and an additional bonus of Rs 90,000, as she did not exchange the money she won during ‘Super Sandook’ for a lifeline. Kapila quit the game at the 12th question. The question was: Which of these cities in West Asia was separated from British India in the 1930s? The options were: Mosul, Basra, Jeddah, Aden

Check this space tomorrow to learn more about the toughest question on the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18. We will be bringing you the question and the story behind it.

Since Kapila was unsure about the answer, she quit the game and walked away with Rs 7.5 lakh winnings. Upon quitting, she was asked to guess the answer, and she guessed Mosul, which was incorrect. The correct answer was Aden.

Aden is a city in Yemen, and until 1937, it was governed as part of British India. It was then known as the Aden Settlement. The Port of Aden was the second busiest harbour for refuelling until the 1950s, after New York.

Kapila Taneja’s traumatic ‘agni kaand’

Kapila Taneja took the hot seat on Wednesday’s episode. When Amitabh Bachchan asked her about the scars on her face and neck, Kapila revealed that she had survived an ‘agni-kaand’ in 2002, when her in-laws allegedly tried to immolate her. She shared that she was being tortured for dowry by her in-laws as she and her husband had married against the family’s wishes. Kapila shared that she had a little daughter at the time, and she hasn’t seen her daughter in 24 years. The in-laws have prohibited her from meeting her daughter but she has learnt from the neighbours that her daughter has now moved out for work in a different city. “I pray for her every single day,” she said.

Kapila recalled the violent incident in graphic detail and said that it was only by chance that someone came in to save her. She did not regain consciousness for over two weeks after the incident, following which she filed a police complaint. The surgeries also started only after she regained consciousness.

Kapila currently works as a home tutor and said that she spends most of her time indoors. When asked whats she would do with her winnings, Kapila said that she plans to get surgery for artificial ears, and also wants to open a home for unwed mothers, who are often looked down upon in society.

DISCLAIMER: This article contains sensitive depictions of domestic violence, trauma, and severe physical injury shared for personal storytelling purposes. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse, seek help immediately from local authorities or domestic violence support services.