BANGALORE: Moushmi Mukherjee Lall, who fought fiercely to get justice for her slain sister-in- law Jessica Lall, has herself been rendered homeless by her husband.
When Moushmi returned from Kolkata on Tuesday night, she found herself stranded outside her HSR Layout flat as her estranged husband Ranjit Lall, a senior consultant in a leading software company, had locked the house and gone off to celebrate Christmas.
The 45-year-old has been put up at a private lodge by the Madiwala police, who are waiting for Ranjit’s return.
Moushmi had approached the family court alleging physical torture and harassment by Ranjit. “When I objected to his extramarital affairs, he started harassing me. I filed a complaint with the Viveknagar police station in 2006 and the matter came up in the court.” The court has directed Ranjit to pay maintenance to Moushmi and to accommodate her at his flat in HSR Layout.
“I have been living in the house for the last eight months and used to get maintenance from him very late. I had to go to Kolkata to meet my parents.
When I told him when I was returning, he changed the locks to the house,” she said.
“Even the landlord did not pay any heed to my plea,” Moushmi told The Express. “When I pleaded with him to allow me to enter the house, he said that the rental agreement was in Ranjit’s name,” she said.
“I tried to call Ranjit, but his mobile phone was switched off,” she said, adding that she was left on the street with her luggage and no help at hand. She said that two people had helped drop her to the police station.
“I called up Sabrina Lall (Jessica’s sister), seeking help, but she washed her hands off the issue saying it was my personal problem,” Moushmi rued.
Moushmi says she even called Ranjit’s advocate, who said that they had obtained a court order to put her in a PG accommodation. “Neither my advocate nor I are aware of this development.
I do not want him back, But I am fighting for the rights of a woman,” Moushmi asserted.
The Madiwala police who took up Moushmi’s complaints said that they are waiting for Ranjit to come back to continue investigations.