Referencing the welcome that Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives everytime he goes abroad, the family of the Indian woman in the US, who died by suicide citing abuse by her husband, has asked what’s taking so long for authorities to harness that goodwill to bring the woman’s body back to India even after close to two weeks.
“PM Modi gets warm welcome internationally. What do we do of good international relationships if we can’t get justice,” Mandeep Kaur’s brother Sandeep Singh told NDTV as the family waits to get her body back.
“It’s now an international matter but we are still unable to get justice. Neither the American authorties nor the Indian officials are taking note of the case,” he said terming the death of his sister as “murder” and not suicide.
The brother clarified that Mandeep Kaur, who alleged in a video that her husband abused her for “giving birth only to daughters”, had died on August 1.
“It’s been eight years; I cannot take daily beatings now,” Mandeep Kaur, the mother of two daughters – aged 6 and 4 – is heard saying in the video.
The 30-year-old woman accused her husband and in-laws of “forcing” her to die by suicide. “Daddy, I am going to die, please forgive me,” she said in the video.
From different villages in UP’s Bijnor, Mandeep Kaur and Ranjodhbeer Singh Sandhu’s marriage was arranged in 2015. Her family said he already worked in the US as a trucker, and she joined him three years later.
“If the body can’t come to India, at least send us there. My sister can be sent there along with my parents,” he said, adding, “My parents are old, I don’t want another mishap.”
Yogita Bhayana, who heads the group People Against Rape in India (PARI), is also assisting Ms Kaur’s family.
“It’s not a difficult task for the government. It’s not their priority. I have also spoken to S Jaishankar’s office. It has been 48 hours to our written request,” Ms Bhayana told NDTV.
