Punjab woman's suicide: A 30-year-old Punjabi woman on Saturday died by suicide in New York, the USA after "years of daily beatings" from her husband. In a video that is now going viral on social media, the woman, Mandeep Kaur, spoke about her domestic violence situation before allegedly killing herself.
In the video, Kaur was heard saying that she had tolerated years of abuse, and she can not anymore. Her husband Ranjodhbeer Singh Sandhu is a truck driver. "I am in a very pitiable condition. I tried my best but cannot tolerate the daily beatings now. For eight years, I have been undergoing daily beatings and accepting his bad behaviour in the hope that he will change one day."
Kaur left behind two daughters, 4 and 2. Speaking in Punjabi, she said her husband and her in-laws are forcing her to commit suicide. She said that her husband is angry with her for giving him daughters and not sons.
Kaur and Sandhu are from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. They moved to the US in 2015.
She also said that her husband had been cheating on her for years. Her father also got Sandhu booked in a case. "He pleaded and got off," the woman added. She said further that her mother-in-law verbally abused her and her family, and encouraged Sandhu to torture her.
Videos of the domestic abuse had gone viral on social media. In one such video, Sandhu can be seen strangling her, and torturing her - all while the toddlers beg, "Please don't hit mumma." The incident was caught on a security camera inside her house. He was seen beating her till she apologises.
In her reportedly last video, Kaur added that Sandhu also kept her captive in a truck for five days.
Kaur's sister Kuldeep spoke to news agency ANI regarding her sister's death, and said, "He wanted a son & wanted Rs 50 lakh in dowry."
There is no information regarding any action taken against the man yet. On social media, people from many countries across the world came together to stand up for the woman. The hashtag #JusticeforMandeep is now going viral.
UK-based NGO Sikh Women's Aid, which also works against abuse within the Sikh and Punjabi communities, issued a statement expressing grief: “She describes a life of abuse, belittling and violence.”
