Mandeep Kaur via Change.org
The family of a Sikh woman who committed suicide after an allegedly abusive relationship are fighting for custody of their two children.
The Print reports that the girls, 4 and 6, are in the care of their father, who they allege abused mother Mandeep Kaur.
Kaur posted a video on Instagram shortly before her suicide alleging abuse at the hands of her husband Ranjodhbir Singh Sandhu.
39,000 people have signed a change.org petition calling for Sandhu to be charged.
According to The Print, Sandhu told Pro Punjab.TV that social media’s portrayal of his wife’s death was “misleading”.
What complicates the custody battle is that Sandhu is a permanent resident of the United States and the family is back in India.
It’s possible that the New York District Attorney could take action to avoid the need for a lawsuit.
Kaur’s family accused Sandhu of cremating his wife to hide evidence of abuse.
“By cremating her body, Ranjodhbir destroyed evidence. There was also a video on social media from a few years ago where you could see him pushing her onto the bed and hitting her while the daughters cried in the background. But the US authorities have yet to take action against him,” Kaur’s brother Sandeep Singh claimed.
The case has drawn attention to abuse in the Indian community.
“South Asians are reluctant to get help or call 911. A sense of shame and stigma overwhelms them,” said Kavita Mehra of the New York-based domestic survivor nonprofit Sakhi. “The idea of duty to family is conjured up and projected onto the survivor as a form of power and control. These social handcuffs keep women from seeking help,” she told The Tribune.
Two in five South Asian women in the United States experience abuse, compared to one in four overall.
“Relationship violence is about power and control, not the economic status of the one being abused,” says Balbir Gurm, founder of The Network to Eliminate Violence in Relationships.
Anyone thinking about harming themselves can call 988 for help. Anyone experiencing domestic violence can call 1-800-799-SAFE.
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