'He abandoned me at the border': Pakistani woman appeals to Indian PM Modi as husband plans Delhi wedding

Dubai: A Pakistani woman has issued a desperate public appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, claiming her husband abandoned her in Karachi and is now preparing to secretly remarry in Delhi.

The case has triggered outrage among women’s groups and cross-border legal bodies.

In a video message circulated widely on social media, the woman, identified as Nikita Nagdev, alleged she married Vikram Nagdev, a Pakistani-origin man living in Indore on a long-term visa, on January 26, 2020, according to Hindu customs in Karachi. She says Vikram brought her to India a month later, but her life was “shattered” within months.

According to Nikita, on July 9, 2020, she was forcibly sent back to Pakistan under the pretext of a “visa technicality,” and her husband has refused to bring her back ever since.

“I kept requesting him to call me to India, but he refused every time,” she said. “If justice is not served today, women will lose faith in justice.”

In her video, Nikita alleged she faced a dramatic change in behaviour from her husband and in-laws immediately after her wedding. She claims she later learned that Vikram was having an affair with one of her relatives, and when she complained to her father-in-law, she was dismissed with the remark, “Boys have affairs, nothing can be done.”

Nikita alleges that during the COVID-19 lockdown, Vikram pressured her to return to Pakistan. Once back home, she says she discovered that he was planning to marry a woman in Delhi despite being legally married to her.

“Every woman deserves justice,” she said, fighting tears in her appeal. “I request everyone to stand with me.”

On January 27, 2025, Nikita filed a written complaint after learning of the alleged second wedding plans.

The matter went before the Sindhi Panch Mediation and Legal Counsel Centre, which had been authorised by the Madhya Pradesh High Court to look into the complaint. Notices were issued to Vikram and the woman he allegedly plans to marry, and a hearing was conducted. However, mediation failed.

In an April 30, 2025 report, the Centre stated that because neither spouse is an Indian citizen, the issue legally falls under Pakistan’s jurisdiction. The Centre recommended that Vikram be deported to Pakistan.

This was not the first intervention. In May 2025, Nikita also approached the Indore Social Panchayat, which again advised deportation.

Indore district collector Ashish Singh confirmed that an inquiry has been ordered, saying action would be taken based on findings in the official report.

Nikita says she has been living in fear and humiliation, abandoned in Karachi while her husband allegedly starts a new life in Delhi.

“Many girls face physical and mental abuse in their marital homes,” she said. “I request everyone to stand with me. I just want justice.”

Despite multiple complaints and two separate mediation bodies recommending deportation, Nikita says she still does not know whether she will ever be allowed to return to her marital home — or whether her husband will face consequences for allegedly preparing a second marriage while still married.

The video has sparked legal discussions and calls for stronger mechanisms to protect women in cross-border marriages.

For now, Nikita’s plea stands as a direct request to the highest office in India: “Prime Minister Modi, please ensure justice is served.”