Hyderabad: An Indian woman in New York ended her life on August 3 after narrating in a video how she struggled through years of domestic abuse at the hands of her husband "for giving birth to daughters". The video has gone viral on social media with netizens questioning why the woman was not helped in time, while many others flagged the safety of her two daughters -- aged 4 and 2 -- whose custody is still with the abusive father.
"I am very sad...I have been beaten for the last 8 years. I cannot tolerate getting thrashed every day. He has driven me mad...I cannot tolerate this anymore...Daddy, I am about to die....please forgive me," Mandeep Kaur, 30, who is originally from Bijnor UP, says in a video shared on Instagram. According to reports, Mandeep Kaur married Ranjodhbeer Singh Sandhu in 2015 after which the couple moved to the US. Sandhu is a truck driver by profession and the couple lived in Richmond, New York.
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The woman said she had been a victim of domestic abuse for years and even alleged that her husband had extramarital affairs. Several other videos of Sandhu hitting and torturing Mandeep have also been shared on social media. In one such purported video, the man is seen trying to strangle her as their daughters are heard crying and asking him not to hit their mother. In another video, her husband is heard verbally abusing her and saying he wanted a son, not daughters.
On Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, netizens, especially the Sikh and Punjabi diaspora, expressed their anger using the hashtag #JusticeForMandeep. In a statement, Sikh Women’s Aid, a UK-based organisation that offers support to domestic and sexual abuse victims from the community, said it was not sharing many other videos and photos of the ‘young Sikh mother’ as they showed her bleeding and bruised. “She describes a life of abuse, belittling, and violence,” it said.
The deceased woman's family in Bijnor, according to reports, said they knew about the abuse she had been facing but had hoped it would end someday. The family has sought government help to bring her body back and also claim custody of the young girls. Meanwhile, the victim's sister Kuldeep Kaur divulged the horrific details of what Mandeep went through on a daily basis since the day she was married.
"My sister was married in February 2015. Soon, they went to New York and he started torturing her. He wanted a son and wanted Rs 50 lakh in dowry," said Kuldeep Kaur. An FIR has been registered at the Najibabad Police Station of Bijnor in UP against the husband and her in-laws. A case has been registered in Najibabad Police Station of Bijnor District on August 5 at 6:33 pm under sections 306 (Abetment of suicide), 498-A (Domestic violence), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 342 (Punishment for wrongful confinement) and Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, a police official said.
The FIR was filed by Jaspal Singh, father of Mandeep Kaur wherein he accused Mukhtar Singh, father of Ranjotveer Singh Sandhu, Kuldeep Raj Kaur, mother of Ranjotveer Singh Sandhu and Jasveer Singh, brother of Ranjotveer Singh Sandhu for the suicide. Social media platforms went berserk after the incident was reported. Many users questioned why the two daughters still with him (Sandhu)? Why is he currently allowed to plan Mandeep's funeral, others questioned.
(Helpline: If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist. You can also reach Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health 9999666555 or help@vandrevalafoundation.com - TISS iCall 022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm). For Indians living in other countries, you can always reach your local mental health specialists or the Indian embassy.)
