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NRI woman died after fell from a 10th-floor in Moscow
News from Moscow Indian Woman Plunges 10 Floors to Her Death Moscow, July 31, 2006 An Indian woman fell to her death from a 10th-floor apartment in southern Moscow last week, and her relatives are pressing the police to investigate whether the death is linked to a $10,700 dowry dispute. Indian police are refusing to investigate, saying the case -- which is making headlines in India -- is out of their jurisdiction. Moscow police believe the fall was an accident. Ambika Sharma was found severely injured Tuesday on the ground below her apartment in a diplomatic building on Simferopolsky Bulvar, near the Nakhimovsky Prospekt metro station, a duty officer at the local police precinct said Sunday. Sharma, 25, was rushed to the hospital and died at 8:20 p.m., about 90 minutes after the fall, according to a police report seen by The Moscow Times. The family had been observing a traditional Indian fast, and Sharma had complained of dizziness, her husband, Sajjan Sharma, a tea importer, told police, according to the report. He said his wife had served him a meal and then went to the kitchen when a friend came to visit, the report said. Hearing a noise in the kitchen, he said, he went there, found a window open and closed it. Moments later, he heard women's shrieks outside, so he reopened the window and saw his wife on the ground. He went to her, and she tried to talk to him, but in vain, the report said. Police concluded that the death was accidental after questioning the husband, the friend, a building guard and several neighbors, a source familiar with the investigation said. Neighbors said the couple had not quarreled that day, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. Police will close the case after they receive an autopsy report, which could take two more weeks, the source said. Ambika Sharma's family in Ranchi, the capital of the Indian state of Jharkahand, learned of her death the same night when a Moscow neighbor called them. The next day, the family went to Ranchi police and tried to file a complaint, claiming that the young woman had been pushed to her death over an unpaid dowry of around 500,000 rupees ($10,700), R.K. Mallick, senior superintendent of the Ranchi police, said by telephone. Her family claimed Sajjan Sharma and his in-laws took her to Moscow earlier this year with "foul intentions" after the money was not paid, Mallick said. He said his office had no jurisdiction to open an investigation outside national borders. "But we might look into a harassment case in Calcutta," he said. Reached on his cell phone Friday, Sajjan Sharma called the allegations by his wife's family "false and baseless." He declined to comment further. But he was quoted by Calcutta's Telegraph newspaper as saying that his wife "must have slipped and fallen." "It is a crystal clear case and has nothing to do with murder," he said, the newspaper reported Thursday. The Telegraph reported that the couple was married three years ago in an arranged marriage. She had been living with her husband and twin children in Moscow for the past two months, the newspaper said. Ambika Sharma's mother, Sharda Devi, claimed that her daughter called her 10 days before her death to say she was being abused by her husband's family and to seek advice, the Hindustan Times reported Friday. "She said that she was being beaten up badly everyday, and her husband was using abusive language," she was quoted as saying. "We used to think that they will mend their ways, but all went in vain." "They were putting pressure on Ambika to get [the dowry money] from us as they wanted to purchase a flat in Moscow," Ambika Sharma's brother, Basant Lal, told the newspaper. Indian media reported that the husband's family lived in his Moscow apartment. Lal said the second man in the apartment was the woman's father-in-law, Mohal Lal Sharma. The source familiar with the investigation said the second man was neither a relative nor a colleague of the husband's. He did not elaborate. An Indian Embassy spokesman said he was "aware of this unfortunate incident." He said he could not give any details or provide further comment. The embassy counts around 15,000 Indian citizens living in Moscow. Thousands of dowry deaths are thought to occur every year. Nearly 7,000 were reported in 2000, the Hindustan Times said. Though prohibited by law in 1961, the extraction of a dowry from the bride's family still occurs, the paper said. When the dowry amount is not considered sufficient or is not forthcoming, the wife is often harassed and abused. The abuse can escalate to the point where the husband or his family burn the wife, often by pouring kerosene on her and lighting it, usually resulting in death. The official records of these incidents are low because they are often reported as accidents or suicides by the family. In Delhi, a woman is burned to death almost every 12 hours. Apart from the dowry deaths, 45,778 incidents of
torture by husbands or in-laws were reported in 2000. News from India Ranchi girl ends up as dowry victim in Moscow
Ambika Sharma went to Moscow to live with her husband Saajan, never knowing that it would be her last journey on earth. She became a dowry victim on July 25, and now her parents, Deendayal Sharma and Sharada Devi, are running from pillar to post trying to get a police case registered against Saajan. Ranchi Police officials say that they cannot register a case as the incident falls under the jurisdiction of the Moscow Police. Ambika was allegedly thrown from the tenth floor of a building in Moscow. Her body is now being flown in from Moscow for final rites in India. Ambika's brother Basant Sharma informed reporters here that an anonymous caller had informed him on the night of July 25 that his sister had been thrown down by her husband and her father-in-law Mohal Lal Sharma. "From day one, these people were very greedy. They kept demanding more and more of dowry and we used to always meet their demands. In November last, my daughter came here for Chhaat Puja along with her husband and my son gave Rs. 25,000 to her husband Sajjan Sharma. They left for Moscow. On the night of the 25th, my son received a call saying that our daughter is no more," said Deen Dayal Sharma, Ambika's father. Ambika's mother Sharda Devi claims that Saajan's family used to torture Ambika a lot for dowry. Ambika's parents made attempts to resolve their differences with Saajan's family, but fate had something else store for her. "My daughter told me 10 days ago that they torture her so badly. What should she do? She said that she was being beaten up badly everyday and her husband was using abusive language. We used to think that they will mend their ways, but all went in vain. We never knew this was going to happen. They never bothered to even call us." Social activist Rajiv Mishra has volunteered to come to the Sharma family's aid. "These people ran from pillar to post right from the Kotwali to the SSP (Senior Superintendent of Police) to the DGP (Director General of Police) but they have been bluntly told that this case does not come under our area. We can register the FIR (First Information Report). This was the saddest part. They could have even initiated talks with the Russian Embassy to help the family so that with the Government's intervention, the matter is solved expeditiously," said Mishra. Ranchi's Senior Superintendent of Police R. K. Mallik said: "We can only register cases that occur in Indian territory. If there is any foul play, then let the Moscow Police inform us and accordingly we will investigate. Before that, as per the law, we don't have any provisions to look into the matter." Ambika married Kolkata-based Saajan Singh on April 17, 2003. Saajan Singh has tea business in Moscow. Last year, she gave birth to twins in Ranchi. In April, Ambika's in-laws took her back to Kolkata and then to Moscow. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, 6,995 dowry deaths were reported in the year 2000 alone. Among the 23 mega-cities, the share of Delhi was as high as 19.9 percent. Though prohibited by law in 1961, the extraction of dowry from the bride's family prior to marriage still occurs. When the dowry amount is not considered sufficient or is not forthcoming, the bride is often harassed, abused and made miserable. This abuse can escalate to the point where the husband or his family burn the bride, often by pouring kerosene on her and lighting it, usually killing her. The official records of these incidents are low because they are often reported as accidents or suicides by the family. In Delhi, a woman is burned to death almost every twelve hours . Apart from the dowry deaths, 45,778 incidents of torture by husbands or in-laws were reported. Though that number dropped by 28 percent across the country, Madurai reported an increase of 195.9 per cent and Hyderabad, 200 percent. As for Ambika's shocked family members, the shattered father with the hopes of securing justice will go to Kolkata to appeal to the Russian Embassy to initiate investigation in unearthing the facts about his daughter. OPINIONS: Below is the result of your feedback form. It was
submitted by Name_First112206: vishnu LAST: sharma City, Country: kolkata,india EMAIL: vishnusharma1@yahoo.co.in,vishnusharma77@hotmail.com Telephone :in file 033-26682164/6249 Name of this Article: opinion and appeals for late ambika sharma Add your (cut & paste) opinions/ comments/:
"dear sir/madam as per your article you have mentioned the
journey as the last one ,but i would say its also the first journey
for moscow in during her three years of marriage,he never took
her abroad anywhere also,even he didnot took her to visit india
except her mother's home at ranchi.first time in three years she
goes and have fallen from tenth floor by the kitchen window,moscow
kitchen are risky upto that extent that a girl slipped and fallen. Below is the result of your feedback form. It was
submitted by Name: vishnu LAST: sharma City, Country: kolkata,india EMAIL: vishnusharma1@yahoo.co.in,vishnusharma77@hotmail.com Telephone: 033-26682164/6249 Name of this Article: opinion and appeals for late ambika sharma Add your (cut & paste) opinions/ comments/:
"dear sir/madam as per your article you have mentioned the
journey as the last one ,but i would say its also the first journey
for moscow in during her three years of marriage,he never took
her abroad anywhere also,even he didnot took her to visit india
except her mother's home at ranchi.first time in three years she
goes and have fallen from tenth floor by the kitchen window,moscow
kitchen are risky upto that extent that a girl slipped and fallen. name: Submit ------------------------- I was horrified to read about Ambika Sharma's untimely
death or should I say murder. For the sake of her parents, brother
and children I hope that her Ambika's husband and family are brought
to justice. I hope the Moscow police don't fall for the lies of
her death being an accident. We all know the truth. Greed and
the lack of value placed on female lives is abhorrent and I am
tired of people looking the other way and perpetuating this way
of thinking. Females have value beyond their dowry. In fact the
whole system of dowry should be banned. My heart breaks for Ambika's
family and children. How she must have suffered at the hands of
those who should have been there to love and protect her. Shame
on you Saajan Singh and your family. If you are not held accoutable
in this lifetime, I can assure you God will be your judge. I believe
in karma and you and your family will get what you deserve.
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