‘I don’t believe he’s a criminal’

Since that fateful night,Dalbeer’s life has been shadowed by loneliness and fear. She now lives alone in an isolated two-room house near the Indo-Nepal border with only a sword and a large knife for protection. She rarely leaves her home except to go to the market 7 km away and her social life is limited to a few interactions with neighbours.

Dalbeer was 22 when she married Gurmeet,a farmer. Eight months later,Gurmeet and his friend Lakha went about their deadly rampage which claimed the lives of Gurmeet’s father,two brothers,their wives and eight children. Subsequently disowned by the rest of the family,she moved 40 km away and settled down in Mani Gulladia as her father and brothers lived here.

Today,she survives on whatever she earns by leasing out her field for farming. After her father’s death 10 years ago,her brothers disowned her. Dalbeer admits that her family suffered terribly after the incident. When Gurmeet went missing,the police detained her father and brother Jageer Singh for questioning and released them after three months when Gurmeet was arrested. “During detention,they all were beaten. This was also the reason why my brothers disowned me,” says Dalbeer. However,she has found unexpected acceptance from some of her husband’s relatives. Eight months ago,when Gurmeet’s only surviving brother Balwinder Singh died,she spent some time with the family.

Four times a year Dalbeer faithfully goes to visit Gurmeet,who is a death row prisoner at Allahabad’s Naini Jail. She says she doesn’t believe he’s a criminal,as no other case was ever lodged against him. “I don’t know whether my husband will return or not. But I am satisfied that he is alive and I can meet him in jail,” she says. She said she learns of all the developments in the case from Gurmeet himself.

When told that Gurmeet’s mercy petition may be rejected,she is shocked and anxious. s“Who told you? How do you know it is true?” she asks.

Dalbeer believes Lakha Singh was primarily responsible for the massacre though she says she was never personally associated with him. “Even before my marriage,Lakha stayed at my husband’s home. I believe that the murders were a handiwork of Lakha to take revenge from Gurmeet’s family and he instigated my husband,” said Dalbeer. She has asked her husband about the murders several times,but “he refuses to talk about it”.