An emotional audio clip circulating on social media has renewed attention on the case of Sarabjeet Kaur, an Indian woman who travelled to Pakistan for a Sikh pilgrimage in November last year and later converted to Islam and married a Pakistani national. The clip, whose authenticity has not been independently verified, is purported to feature Kaur speaking to her former husband in India and seeking help to return home, alleging harassment in Pakistan.
Pilgrimage, Disappearance And Marriage In Pakistan
The 48-year-old Sikh woman, a resident of Amanipur village in Punjab’s Kapurthala district, was among around 2,000 Sikh pilgrims who entered Pakistan via the Wagah border in November to attend celebrations marking the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. While the rest of the pilgrims returned after a few days, Kaur went missing.
A senior police officer in Lahore later said that she had married Nasir Hussain, a resident of Sheikhupura district, about 50 kilometres from Lahore, a day after arriving in Pakistan on November 4.
Allegations Of Harassment In Viral Clip
In the viral audio, Kaur is heard saying her condition in Pakistan was “not good” and that she was being harassed by the man she married and his family. She is heard pleading to be brought back to India and asking her former husband to promise that she would not be harmed upon her return.
“I am being harassed here. I cannot live without my children. I used to give millions of rupees to people; I am a Sardarni, yet I am left pleading for money,” the woman says in the clip.
She also claims she did not travel to Pakistan as a spy, alleging that she went there to have obscene photographs of her deleted, which she said were in Nasir Hussain’s possession.
Legal Proceedings And Arrest
Following their marriage, Kaur and Hussain filed a petition in the Lahore High Court alleging that police had conducted an illegal raid at their residence in Farooqabad, Sheikhupura, and pressured them to end the marriage. Justice Farooq Haider directed the police to stop harassing the couple.
However, a Punjab government source told PTI that Kaur was later arrested and sent to Darul Aman, a government-run shelter home in Lahore. “Instead of following the court order, the Punjab police apprehended the couple and sent Ms Kaur to Darul Aman,” the source said.
Authorities are reportedly seeking to deport Kaur, while her husband remains in police custody. An earlier attempt to deport her failed due to the closure of the Wagah-Attari border.
Earlier Statements And Spy Allegations
In an earlier video, Kaur said she had approached the Indian embassy in Islamabad to extend her visa and had also applied for Pakistani nationality. “I am a divorcee and wanted to marry Hussain; therefore, I came here for the purpose,” she said, adding that she “happily married Hussain” after converting to Islam and adopting the name Noor.
Former Punjab Assembly member Mahinder Pal Singh has alleged that Kaur could be an “Indian spy”, claiming her stay in Pakistan after visa expiry posed national security concerns.
