New Delhi: It has been around a week since Mandeep Kaur died by suicide in Queens, New York, allegedly due to torture by her husband Ranjotveer Singh Sandhu and her in-laws for dowry and not giving birth to a son. Mandeep's family in India is now seeking help from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) to help them either bring the 30-year-old's body back to India or arrange visa for the parents to visit the US to perform her last rites. However, as per the family, they have not heard or got any response from officials.
Mandeep’s brother Sandeep Singh said they were running pillar to post to get the work done but were not receiving any help or response from any official.
They have also started an online petition demanding that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar take some action. The petition, on Change.org, has garnered 1,122 online signatures out of the required 1,500 signatures so far.
'Want To Perform Sister's Last Rites, Claim Custody of Her Daughters'
Mandeep’s family wants to go to the US and perform her last rites, and also claim the custody of her two minor daughters. Mandeep's brother Sandeep told ABP Live they had applied for a visa for his father, mother and sister but haven't got any response.
“Authorities are not cooperating with us, that is why we had to start the online petition,” Sandeep said, referring to the Change.org petition.
“We don't know about the status of our visa or what will happen to the kids. There's no official from the Government of India whom we can talk to and know the details. We are trying to contact everyone. It's been one week since her death and we still do not know what will happen with the body,” he added.
In an emotional appeal, he said, "If bringing back the body is not possible, then at least let us go, giving a visa is not a difficult thing. Our entire family is just dying for the kids every minute, we are seeing our sister only in those girls."
Rajya Sabha MP and AAP leader Raghav Chaddha also wrote a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar regarding this, but there has been no response to that letter as well, Sandeep said. He said no official from the Uttar Pradesh government had contacted them yet.
“We voted for them in the election but now no one has come yet to visit us,” he said.
Mandeep Kaur’s Death Case
Mandeep Kaur, 30, originally from Uttar Pradesh’s Bijnor, moved to New York after her marriage in 2015. She killed herself allegedly because her husband and in-laws tormented her for not bringing dowry and not giving birth to a son.
She appeared to hang herself but not before uploading a heartbreaking video in which she narrated her painful story of alleged torture by her husband and his family. The video caused a social media stir.
“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,” news agency ANI quoted Mandeep's sister Kuldeep Kaur as saying.
An FIR has been lodged against Sandhu and his parents at the Najibabad police station in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh.
According to the police, a case was registered on August 5 at 6.33 pm under Sections 306 (Abetment to suicide), 498-A (Domestic Violence), 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), and 342 (Punishment for Wrongful Confinement) of the Indian Penal Code, and relevant provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961.
Mandeep's two daughters, aged four and six, are currently with Sandhu.