British Woman on Death Row in India takes up New Hobby

A Midlands mum facing the death penalty in India has taken up a new hobby behind bars after being convicted of murdering her husband.

Ramandeep Kaur Mann, from Littleover, Derby, was sentenced to death for killing Sukhjit Singh while on a family holiday in Banda, Uttar Pradesh.

The 2016 attack was carried out with her lover and alleged accomplice, Gurpreet Singh.

The court heard that Ramandeep laced her husband’s biryani with sleeping pills, smothered him with a pillow, and then slit his throat.

Gurpreet reportedly hit Sukhjit on the head with a hammer during the attack.

Prosecutors said the pair plotted to claim Sukhjit’s £2 million life insurance policy.

Their eldest son Arjun, aged nine at the time, witnessed the killing and became the prosecution’s key witness. He helped convict his mother in October 2023.

After she was handed the death penalty, Arjun said:

“I would like to be there when it happens.

“It doesn’t fill me with fear, in fact, it would give me a lot of satisfaction and relief and I look forward to that day. I would like all my family to be there with me.

‘I would like to see with my own eyes that justice for my father has been served.

“She deserves to hang because she did such an evil thing she did.”

Ramandeep’s lawyers claim the child was “tutored” by relatives to give false testimony. They argued that witness statements were “full of concoctions, embellishments and improvements at every stage”.

The legal team also insists there is no evidence of an affair between Ramandeep and Gurpreet, despite the prosecution’s claims.

The 38-year-old mum, who denies the murder and says she was framed, is awaiting her appeal in Shahjahanpur District Jail.

She now shares a dormitory-style cell with 55 other women and has reportedly taken up painting.

Her “colourful” artwork has been seen by local officials and charity workers visiting the prison.

Sukhjit’s mother, Bans Kaur, dismissed claims that her grandson was coached to lie, branding them “ridiculous”.

She also condemned Ramandeep’s new prison hobby.

Bans said:

“She is a cunning and evil woman, and I don’t believe for one minute she has changed.”

“This is all being done for her appeal against the death sentence and is an attempt to win favour with the jail authorities.

“It’s absolutely disgusting.”