Hyderabad: Cynthia's family fight for daughter

Hyderabad: Tension prevailed at Shamshabad DCP office when the relatives of Cynthia and members of the African community in Hyderabad protested demanding capital punishment for her husband Rupesh, who allegedly killed her.
Congolese ambassador to India Rosette Muku came to the DCP office to express her solidarity with the victim’s family.

Cynthia and Rupesh’s eight-year-old daughter Sania has been shifted to a children’s home after court orders. Both families continue to fight for her custody. Experts say that since the mother is dead, her father will be the next guardian and only the court can decide on the child’s custody.

Cynthia’s younger brother Dariss Babeti said they wanted the body of his sister and the custody of her daughter. “We want justice and also the custody of our child. We cannot leave her to them because we are scared,” Mr Babeti said.

The demand was backed by the ambassador. “We will take the body back home for final rites. We will also send an advocate from Delhi on our behalf to take up the case,” Ms Muku said.

Police said that they cannot help. “We made it clear to them that the matter is in court which will decide. We are ready to hand over the body”" said DCP Shamshabad Sunpreet Singh.

“The father alone can claim the daughter’s custody, but Cynthia’s parents also can demand custody citing that he can harm her," said senior advocate N Amargupta said. “He can say that he did no harm to his daughter as he loved her,” High Court advocate Y. Somaraju said.

Community members said Rupesh should be hanged to death immediately and the government should ensure safety of Africans. “There are frequent incidents against our brothers and sisters across the country and there should be strict mechanism to put an end to it. We demand that the Indian government see that this case doesn’t die down until justice is done,” said Mr Ombowale Seun Gideon, president of Telangana Nigerian Association.