‘Still a Fight For Us’: Anissia’s Family, 3 Months After Her Death

“Our lives have completely come to a stand-still,” Anissia’s brother Karan Batra told The Quint.

“Our life has come to a standstill,” says Anissia Batra’s brother Karan Batra.

(Photo Courtesy: Justice For Anissia/The Quint)

RS Singhvi and Sushma Singhvi, Anissia Batra’s in-laws and co-accused in her death case, surrendered before a Delhi court on Thursday, 1 November. The court had previously issued a non-bailable warrant against them while they were at large.

On Thursday, they also applied for a bail plea, which was rejected by the court and they have been taken into custody by the Investigating Officer, reported ANI

"Our life has come to a standstill," said Karan Batra in conversation with The Quint, more than three months after his sister Anissia Batra allegedly ended her own life.

Anissia was a 39-year-old air hostess with a German airlines, who had been married to Mayank Singhvi since 2016. She died on 13 July after allegedly jumping from the fourth floor of her marital house.

Her family and friends have long suspected foul play in her death, and have since July been stressing on the need for a fair probe.

They have also alleged that her husband used to physically assault her and ask her for money.

Mayank Singhvi has been charged with Sections 304B (dowry death), 498A (cruelty by husband or a relative of the husband) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Supplementary charges have also been framed against Mayank Singhvi's parents and a non-bailable warrant issued against them.

However, while Mayank Singhvi was arrested on 16 July and is in judicial custody, his parents (Anissia’s in-laws) only surrendered on 1 November.

Speaking to The Quint, Anissia's brother Karan said:

It is still a fight for my family and me. My parents are over 70 years old and they have been constantly commuting from Chandigarh (their hometown) to Delhi and back since July. I was settled in a different city and have had to shift base to Delhi. I am constantly doing the rounds of the court and trying to ensure that my sister gets justice.  Our lives have completely come to a stand-still.

On being asked if the authorities have been cooperating with them, Karan had said on 30 October: "they have, but not entirely.”

While a chargesheet has been filed, the in-laws (Singhvi’s parents) are still absconding. I find that strange. How much time can it take to find someone? It has been three months. This hints at some kind of external influence on the authorities. But there is no denying that they have done certain things for us too, like filing the chargesheet in the first place.

Karan Batra, Anissia’s brother

Karan Batra further pointed out that Mayank Singhvi’s parents have not co-operated with the probe, and had hoped that they are taken into custody. He also hoped that the trial takes place bearing in mind the seriousness of the charges against Mayank Singhvi.

The nearly 25-page charge-sheet reportedly cites statements made by Anissia’s family and friends, her emails talking about the abuse she faced and consisting photographs of her injuries and the WhatsApp conversations she had on the day she allegedly committed suicide.

On 27 June – few days before Anissia's death – her father Maj Gen RS Batra (Retd) had filed a complaint with the police alleging that Singhvi and his parents were torturing Anissia.

"Also they may physically harm her and show it as an accident or suicide," Anissia's father had written in the police complaint.

He had even said that Anissia’s husband and her in-laws should be held responsible if she faces physical harm.

In a message to The Quint, Anissia’s mother Nillum Batra wrote:

We, the family, have lived in deep pain these past three-and-a-half months and I do not see this pain going away in our lifetime.

Nillum Batra, Anissia’s mother