British-Sikh woman jailed for harassing ex-boyfriend

LONDON: A British-Sikh woman was handed down a two-year suspended jail term by a UK court for launching a campaign of racist abuse and harassment against her Hindu ex-boyfriend and his family over a period of five years, including posting beef through their door as an attack on their faith.

Amandeep Mudhar had pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment and was handed down a two-year sentence at Swindon Crown Court in south-west England on Tuesday.

The court was told of Mudhar orchestrating a series of attacks on the unnamed family of her former boyfriend, including abusive and threatening phone calls and attacks on social media. The court was told that the 26-yearold had a brief relationship with the man, which was “never fully intimate”, over a few weeks in 2012.

But after he ended the affair citing cultural differences, Mudhar and her family launched into the attacks which included threats of rape against his sisters and mother and also to blow up their home and cars, the local daily ‘Swindon Advertiser’ reported. Prosecutor Sue Cavender told the court that after 2015, she was made subject to a harassment warning by the police and a civil injunction brought by the family, which prevented her from contacting them.

However, she breached that with a social media message two minutes before it expired, saying to one of his two sisters “now watch what happens”, the report said. Mudhar then enlisted the help of a friend, 30-year-old Sandeep Dogra, to send numerous “offensive” Facebook and Instagram posts directed at the family. As well as threats to kill them and rape them, one of the comments branded them “fat, like your elephant god”.

Mudhar and Dogra had both pleaded guilty to harassment. She also faces a six-month curfew, during which her movements will be curtailed.

She has also been directed to complete 100 hours of unpaid community service, attend rehabilitation days and pay £750 towards legal costs.

The judge also imposed a restraining order banning Mudhar and Dogra from contacting the family, going to the roads they live on or the temple they visit.