Hyderabad: Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi’s granddaughter has recorded a selfie video and uploaded it on social media stating categorically that she has not been kidnapped and is happy with her father, Mr Ruzbeh N. Bharucha, in their home.
The video, which has gone viral, with people speaking about the courage of the child and Ms Bedi, a former policewoman and anti-corruption crusader, and the marital conflict.
Kiran Bedi's granddaughter, this little girl has mustered courage to go public against harassment meted out to her father by her mother and grandmother. Madam Bedi has apparently claimed her kidnapping when she's happy with her father and wants to be with him only. pic.twitter.com/8G0CVTMHN1
— Deepika Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) April 4, 2019
The video appears to have been recorded at home and shows her father in another room. She says she is with her father and no one has hurt her or harassed her.
In the video, she tells her mother Saina Bedi, “I and Daddy don’t want to live with you. We want to be away from you.” She says, “I am very ashamed to be the granddaughter of Dr Kiran Bedi. The only one that too. When I called and told you (Ms Kiran Bedi) that my mother is hitting my father with chappals, you said that it is between husband and wife. Nani, why are you using police influence now?”
The video was posted on Twitter by Deepika Bhardwaj, a film-maker, who said: “I am appalled that Kiran Bedi told her granddaughter that it’s a matter between husband and wife when her daughter beat up her husband with chappals, spit on him and thrashed him. I wonder if you’d say the same if a husband did this to his wife. You would book him under Section 498A.”
FULL Video 1 pic.twitter.com/NY7YYy8bMb
— Deepika Bhardwaj (@DeepikaBhardwaj) April 4, 2019
The video appeared to open the floodgates. Mr Mike Mehta, a watch collector, alleged on Twitter that Ms Kiran Bedi’s husband had “died a miserable death”. Aditya Neema alleged that the Ms Bedi was “unfairly using state machinery and police against a common man”.
The issue of child support and lack of a shared parenting law has also been raised as there are many children who may be silently suffering. The move of the child to come out with a video on the stand and seek help shows the trauma that the family is facing.
This newspaper reached out to Ms Bedi who said in a Whatsapp, “The matter is already closed. As the court has served a notice I believe to U tube and directed the child herself to bring it down by Tom. I have not seen the order. But am informed by the lawyer About this. As above. Hence there is no scope for any comments. Since it involves a child, matter is exceedingly sensitive. Talking about it or writing about it I am not sure whether it will be appropriate. At this stage (sic).”
