An emotional and widely shared audio clip circulating on social media has once again drawn attention to the case of Sarabjeet Kaur, an Indian Sikh woman who travelled to Pakistan last year for a religious pilgrimage and later married a Pakistani man after converting to Islam. The clip, whose authenticity has not been officially verified, allegedly features Kaur pleading to be brought back to India, claiming she is facing harassment in Pakistan.
Background: Pilgrimage that took an unexpected turn
Sarabjeet Kaur, 48, hails from Amanipur village in Punjab’s Kapurthala district. In November last year, she was part of a group of nearly 2,000 Sikh pilgrims who crossed into Pakistan through the Wagah border to attend celebrations marking the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak.
While the rest of the pilgrims returned to India after completing the yatra, Kaur did not come back, triggering concern among her family and Indian authorities. Pakistani officials later stated that she had married a local man shortly after arriving in the country.
Marriage and conversion in Pakistan
According to Pakistani police, Kaur married Nasir Hussain, a resident of Sheikhupura district near Lahore, on November 4, just a day after entering Pakistan. Before the nikah ceremony, she converted to Islam and was given the name “Noor.”
In earlier video statements, Kaur maintained that she willingly married Hussain and approached Indian and Pakistani authorities to extend her visa. She also claimed to have applied for Pakistani citizenship, stating that she was divorced and had chosen to remarry of her own free will.
Disturbing claims in viral audio clip
The recent viral audio, however, paints a drastically different picture. In the clip, the woman believed to be Kaur is heard telling her former husband in India that her situation in Pakistan has deteriorated. She alleges harassment by her husband and his family and expresses desperation to reunite with her children.
“I cannot survive without my children,” the voice says, adding that despite her past status and financial independence, she is now left begging for money. She repeatedly asks to be taken back to India and seeks assurances that she will not be harmed upon return.
Kaur is also heard denying allegations of espionage and claims she travelled to Pakistan only to have her private photographs deleted, allegedly held by Hussain.
Legal battle and police action
Following their marriage, Kaur and Hussain moved the Lahore High Court, accusing the local police of unlawfully raiding their home in Farooqabad and attempting to force them to separate. Justice Farooq Haider reportedly ordered the police to stop interfering in the couple’s personal life.
Despite this, Pakistani authorities later detained Kaur and placed her in Darul Aman, a government-run shelter home in Lahore. Sources within the Punjab government stated that her husband remains in police custody and that efforts are underway to deport Kaur to India.
An earlier attempt to send her back reportedly failed due to the temporary closure of the Wagah-Attari border.
The case took a more controversial turn after Mahinder Pal Singh, a former member of the Punjab Assembly in Pakistan, filed a petition in the Lahore High Court alleging that Kaur could be an “Indian spy.” He argued that overstaying her visa posed a national security concern, further complicating her situation.
With conflicting statements, unverified viral content, legal proceedings, and diplomatic sensitivities involved, Sarabjeet Kaur’s case remains unresolved. Indian authorities have not officially commented on the viral audio, while Pakistani officials continue to examine legal and security aspects surrounding her stay.
