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Syosset Family Says Daughter was Driven to Suicide in Nepal by Abusive Husband

Written by Joe Randazzo  |  24. July 2013

Bhoomika Kochhar, 25, of Syosset, and her husband, Akaash Jatia, had a fairy tale wedding two years ago. The ceremony was a three day affair at the Hyatt Regency in Nepal and more than 1,000 guests attended the extravagant wedding. Musicians flew in from Mumbai and chefs came from Thailand, Macau, Japan, Dubai, and India. Kochhar’s makeup was done by Bollywood professionals and Jatia was described  as a prince from the clothing he wore and the way he carried himself.
 
Two years later Kochhar hung herself in her home in Nepali's capital city, Kathmandu. Her family suspects foul play on the part of her husband's influential Nepali family.
 
Kochhar’s sister, Priyanka Puri, said her sister was treated cruelly by her husband after leaving the United States to live in Nepal. He consistently yelled at her, locked her in rooms, denied her food, ridiculed her and didn’t let her leave the house without restricting her movement. The Syosset family was forced to get help from Representative Steve Israel because the Jatia family got in the way of the investigations against their son.
 
"My heartfelt condolences go out to the entire Kochhar family, and I am committed to doing everything in my power to make sure they get the answers they need." Said Representative Israel. "That’s why I’m calling on the Government of Nepal to cooperate in a full and impartial investigation. Although there’s nothing we can do to bring Bhoomika back, we must make sure that her family is provided with both closure and justice.”
 
Israel called for $27 million in aid to Nepal be withheld until he‘s satisfied with a proper investigation against Jatia. Kochhar’s family explains that on the day of her death, Jatia brought his wife to two hospitals. He used fake names for the first hospital they went to. Kochhar was then moved to a second which was owned by Akaash Jatia's father, Anil Jatia, an executive at Jagdamba group, a popular conglomerate in Nepal.
 
After going from hospital to hospital, Bhoomika Kochhar was found dead in an apartment on June 15. A local paper, the Kathmandu Post, questioned the hanging saying the ceiling was too close to the floor. 
 
Representative Israel has asked the Nepali government to cooperate with the Kochhar family and conduct an impartial investigation. He’s also requested they file a First Information Report on Nepali soil at its U.S. embassy in Washington D.C. Her family demands the Nepali government look into claims of domestic abuse and the possibility of an abetment to suicide by the Jatia family.
 
[Source: Daily News, Representative Steve Israel]

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