Daughter thrown into canal by her own father survives to tell her story
A young woman in Punjab, India, is recovering in hospital after her father and cousins allegedly threw her into a canal, hoping to drown her and her unborn child. Amanpreet Kaur, 22, survived by clinging to a wild plant in the water for nearly half an hour, hidden from her attackers. The assault, which took place on September 7, has reignited a long-running family feud over her marriage to a man from a lower caste.
Amanpreet is five months pregnant. She and her husband, Satnam Singh, 30, had been living under police protection for two years after her family threatened them. They had only recently dropped their guard, believing the danger had passed. That belief was shattered when her relatives stormed their home, beat Satnam, and dragged Amanpreet away.
What happened on the day of the attack
According to Amanpreet, her father Baljeet Singh and cousins Sukhpreet and Lovepreet drove her to the Rajasthan Feeder Canal on the morning of September 7. They checked that no one was watching, then pushed her into the water.
My father saw me going under. My cousin said, 'Gai (she is gone), let's go', Amanpreet recalled from her hospital bed.
Unable to swim, Amanpreet thrashed about until she grabbed hold of a wild plant. She hid in the water for 20 to 25 minutes, terrified that if her family saw her alive, they would finish the job. When they left, she crawled out, slipping repeatedly as she climbed the bank. A passerby alerted the village head, who called police and an ambulance.
Why did Amanpreet's family turn against her?
The conflict began when Amanpreet fell in love with Satnam five years ago. She says what drew her to him was simple: he never touched drugs, unlike her own brother. Her family, who are Jat Sikhs, refused to accept Satnam, a Mazhabi Sikh, a Dalit convert. They pulled Amanpreet out of school after Class 10 and confined her at home.
The couple married in secret in December 2023. In August 2024, they petitioned the Punjab and Haryana High Court for police protection, fearing for their lives. They moved to Chandigarh, where Satnam worked as a security guard and Amanpreet as a saleswoman. Financial and health problems forced them back to their village in November 2024, but the court order and police warnings to her family had made them feel safe.
By September 2024, they had formally told police they no longer needed protection. Two years of peace had lulled them into a false sense of security.
The night the nightmare returned
On September 6, around 9 pm, five men stormed into Satnam's house armed with rods and weapons. They beat Satnam, thrashed his mother when she intervened, and dragged Amanpreet by the hair into a car. They took her to her father's house, where he joined them, and pressured her to sign a statement accusing Satnam of drug use and demanding a divorce. She refused.
Her father tried to strangle her, but a cousin stopped him. They drove her to an uncle's house in Malout for the night. The next morning, they took her to the canal. Amanpreet says they told her plainly: There's no point keeping her alive, she will not change her statement.
Police have charged six men
Police have booked six men on charges of attempted murder and kidnapping: Amanpreet's father Baljeet Singh, her brother Noorpreet, cousins Lovepreet, Sukhpreet and Novalpreet, and an alleged accomplice named Lovesh. Only Novalpreet has been arrested. The others are absconding, according to Muktsar SSP Abhimanyu Rana.
The village head, Gurjit Singh, offered a different version of events, suggesting the family may have been provoked. He said villagers told him Satnam had gone to their house drunk and taunted them. Satnam denies this. In two years, I never went to their house. Why would I go now?
What kind of father does this?
Just days before the attack, on Raksha Bandhan, Amanpreet's father called her and asked her to come home to tie a rakhi on her brothers' wrists. She was overjoyed. She is the only daughter in the family. Satnam stopped her from going, sensing something was wrong.
Amanpreet now asks a question that cuts to the heart of the matter: How can you call such a man a father who did not think about his daughter's unborn child? Wasn't he happy when my brother and I were born?
She lies in her hospital bed, frail and exhausted, her thin frame barely occupying a corner. She keeps touching her stomach, checking. I am scared something may happen to the baby, she says.
Frequently asked questions about the case
Where is Amanpreet Kaur now?
Amanpreet Kaur is admitted to Gidderbaha Civil Hospital in Punjab's Muktsar district. She and her baby survived the attack, and she is recovering from her ordeal.
Who has been charged in the attack?
Six men have been charged with attempted murder and kidnapping: Amanpreet's father Baljeet Singh, her brother Noorpreet, her cousins Lovepreet, Sukhpreet and Novalpreet, and an alleged accomplice named Lovesh. Novalpreet is in custody; the others are on the run.
Why did Amanpreet's family object to her marriage?
Amanpreet's family are Jat Sikhs and objected to her marriage to Satnam Singh, a Mazhabi Sikh, a Dalit convert. They never reconciled to the union, despite the couple obtaining court-ordered police protection.