In Mohali, 6-year-old child spends three days beside mother’s body

Six-year-old Armaan Singh saw his mother commit suicide, stayed with the body for three days despite strong stench emitting from it and survived on biscuits, chips and fruits.

The body of Jaspinder Kaur, 35, the wife of an armyman, was found hanging in the drawing room of her first-floor flat at Phase 7 in Mohali on Friday evening, three days after she committed suicide.

Jaspinder, who was staying only with her son in the rented flat, left a suicide note in Hindi saying that she was upset and no one should be held responsible for her death.

Police said she tried to end her life earlier too. They said she had strained relations with her husband, lance naik Ranjit Singh, who is posted in Ferozepur.

Jaspinder’s friend, Ratanbir Kaur, informed the police after neighbours called her up as a foul smell was emanating from the flat. She said no one responded to her repeated knocking on the door.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Alam Vijay Singh said, “The child had been sleeping on the sofa next to where the body was hanging. He is in shock.”

Armaan told the police that he did not eat anything the day his mother hanged herself with her dupatta, but had biscuits, chips and fruits stacked in the fridge whenever he felt hungry over the next two days.

He used to take bath daily, change clothes and even go out to play with the children of the locality but did not tell anyone about his mother’s suicide. “Mummy had said I am hanging myself, you take good care of yourself.”

The police said Armaan was studying in Class 2 at Dagshai in Himachal Pradesh till the last session and was yet to get admission in a local school.

Jaspinder Kaur

Child hints at physical abuse of victim, kin deny

Armaan has told the police that his father as well as his mother’s male friend used to beat her. “Papa and chhote papa (this is how he referred to his mother’s male friend) used to beat mummy.”

However, Jaspinder’s father Surjit Singh denied any physical abuse on his daughter. “Lovingly, Armaan used to refer to his father as chhote papa,” said Surjit, who hails from Jagraon and has retired from the Punjab education department.

He also said Jaspinder was to fly to Canada on tourist visa on the day she is suspected to have hanged herself. “She was to go to Canada on April 17.”

Jaspinder was a qualified nurse who, as per police, was working with a private hospital in Sector 70, Mohali, and was on leave these days.

First Published: Apr 22, 2018 10:39 IST