London, January 17: Fearing threat to her life, Indian diplomat Anil Verma’s wife has gone into hiding with the couple’s five-year-old son after being allegedly beaten by her husband at their official residence in London, a media report said on Sunday. Paromita Verma is living in fear of her life after moving out of their home and has applied for leave to remain in the UK on humanitarian grounds amid fears that she would be forcibly taken back to India, the Daily Mail reported.
An IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, Anil Verma, who is the third senior-most diplomat and minister (economic) in the Indian high commission here, had reportedly sought immunity from prosecution after being questioned by the police over claims that he assaulted his wife in December.
“Throughout their time over here, Anil would boast about his diplomatic immunity and he would tell Paromita that no one could touch him because of it. He would goad her and say, ‘Call the police as many times as you want. I’ve got diplomatic immunity’,” a close family friend was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
“He was shameless with it. He has been given so much power and he is abusing it. Paromita has gone into hiding and seriously fears that her safety and health are in jeopardy,” the friend added.
“Anil suddenly blew up on the morning of the incident. He flew into a rage over the fact that there was a Christmas tree in the house that had been given to them from one of Paromita’s relatives,” the friend said. “He stormed up the stairs to grab the tree and throw it out, but Paromita followed and tried to stop him because their son had been decorating it. He turned round and punched her in the face, very hard. Paromita almost fell down the stairs, but grabbed on to banister to steady herself.
“She was screaming and blood was pouring from her nose like a tap. Her clothes were covered in blood. Anil did not seem to care. He started shouting at Paromita’s mother, who was also in the house, abusing her too,” the friend added. “Paromita ran outside, where her neighbours found her. They took her into their house to comfort her until the police arrived.”
Officers questioned the diplomat, but they were powerless to arrest him because of his diplomatic status.
—PTI