In a stunning twist that has gripped Punjab, a 17-year-old girl from Ferozepur district has reappeared months after she was allegedly pushed into a canal by her father. The school dropout and eldest of four sisters stepped before the media on Sunday, sharing her harrowing escape and a shocking plea for her father's release from the jail.
Family Nightmare
The family nightmare unfolded in front of her mother and three younger sisters on the night of September 29. Her father, Surjit Singh, doubted her "character", tied her hands with ropes, and callously pushed her into a canal. He also recorded the brutal act on video, which had gone viral.
"Chal mar (go die)," he was heard saying in the video as he threw her into the canal.
"Marne de (let her die)," he told his wife, who was shouting for help.
"Bye bye," he added as the teen was swept away.
Acting swiftly on a complaint from the girl's cousin, Ferozepur City Police registered a murder case and arrested Singh. He has been in judicial custody at the central jail since then.
Girl's Daring Escape
In her emotional media appearance, the teen revealed how she survived. She said the ropes around her wrists miraculously loosened as the canal's gushing currents swept her away.
Drifting helplessly, her head slammed into an iron bar protruding from the water, a painful blow that became her lifeline. She grabbed it and reached the bank.
Three passers-by then spotted her and pulled her to safety. She, however, didn't reveal where she found a refuge for about two months but said that she was ill and receiving treatment.
"Release My Father - My Sisters Need Him"
She has now begged authorities to free her father.
"My younger sisters have no one else to look after them," she tearfully said.
She alleged that her mother egged on her rage-fuelled, intoxicated father during the attack.
She has also demanded police protection, claiming she doesn't trust her relatives.
Police are now working on the probe and are likely to downgrade charges from murder to attempted murder as the teen's testimony unravels the case.
Senior police officer Bhupinder Singh said it was "very good news" that she had been found safe.
"The girl said she was initially scared and in shock. Due to a head injury, she couldn't remember certain things, which is why she didn't come forward earlier," he said.
"Initially, the father himself made a video, and a case under Section 302 (murder) was registered against him based on that video. However, now that the girl has been found alive, the appropriate sections will be applied based on her statements, and further action will be taken accordingly," he added.
