Saptaparna Biswas (BOMBAY TIMES; May 21, 2018)

A marriage that made headlines about two years ago, has come to an end, as Bobby Darling’s husband Ramnik Sharma was arrested and sent to Tihar jail on charges of domestic violence, harassment and unnatural sex. Investigating officer Pramod Kumar, from Delhi says, “On investigation, it was found that all the possessions were indeed on Bobby Darling’s name and that she was being pressurised for dowry. Ramnik is currently in Tihar jail and his appeal for bail has been denied. Sentence of punishment is still pending, but he has been charged under section 377 too, besides dowry and harassment.”

Their relationship started off on a dreamy note, with the Kya Kool Hain Hum star even undergoing sex reassignment surgery just before the wedding. But things went awry about a year later, when Ramnik allegedly started harassing Bobby. Last September, Bobby filed an FIR against him in the Rani Bagh police station in Delhi, after a dramatic escape from her Bhopal residence where she was reportedly being kept against her will. She alleged that Ramnik was using her for her wealth and even tried taking her possessions, i.e. the penthouse in Bhopal, the SUV and her gold jewellery. During the eight months (from September 2017 to May 2018) both of them were asked to submit proof of ownership of all the assets, and on May 11, Ramnik was arrested by the Delhi police.

For Bobby, this is the end of what she calls a ‘harrowing experience’. “I believed in everything he said and followed him to Bhopal. We began the marriage on a nice note where I bought a penthouse, a car and even gold for his mother as a gift,” shares the former Bigg Boss contestant. From the beginning, Bobby maintained she was right in this case, as she claimed to have all valid proof. She seems to be happy with the way the police department carried out a fair investigation and supported her through the ordeal. “I was satisfied with the way inquiry was turning out because I had absolutely nothing to fear and I trusted our justice system. Even though my experience of Bhopal has now become bitter, the people stood by me,” says Bobby, who is returning to her base in Mumbai. She also has some projects lined up. “I have no hope of getting any of the jewellery back, but I will file a complaint in court for the possession of my apartment and car,” she says. When we visited the apartment in Bhopal, we found that there were some tenants occupying it and it was still in Ramnik’s possession. However, the family did not respond to calls, till the time of going to press.