Almost a year after getting married to a Bhopal based businessman, Bobby Darling’s marriage is in tatters and a tale of domestic violence and abuse. Bobby Darling, who underwent a sex reassignment surgery in 2015 to become a woman, had got married to Ramnik Sharma from Bhopal. She has now filed a case of domestic violence, “unnatural sex” and dowry against him in Delhi after fleeing Bhopal.
The tale that she has narrated is one of an extremely abusive and violent relationship. According to Bobby, Ramnik would often get drunk and beat her up and tell that she is not a woman, and also accuse her of having extramarital affairs. He would doubt her fidelity and had even paid the security guards of her building to keep an eye on her. She also accused him of usurping her money and property. Speaking to Bombay Times, she said: “Ramnik would beat me up after getting drunk and accuse me of having extramarital affairs with every second man. He also usurped my property and money. He made me give him co-ownership of my flat in Mumbai, and did the same when we bought our penthouse in Bhopal. He also bought a SUV using my money immediately after the marriage. Now, I am left with nothing. He had paid the building’s security guards to keep an eye on me, and they would inform him of all my moves. He kept a tab on who I spoke with and where I went.”
Her calls were monitored and she was not allowed to contact her family members. Ramnik would also taunt her that she could not bear children for him. She was finally able to flee when he had gone out to have his phone repaired. “Ramnik had gone out to get his phone repaired and I seized the opportunity. I booked a cab and told the cabbie to give the wrong address to the building’s security guards. Had they realised the cab had come to fetch me, they would have informed Ramnik. I packed my belongings and important documents in two suitcases and fled to the airport. Fearing that he would come for me, I spent eight hours in the airport washroom. I also switched off my phone so that my whereabouts couldn’t be traced,” she told Bombay Times.
She further alleged that he had a criminal record which she wasn’t aware of, and also used to beat up his mother and elder brother. On the other hand, Ramnik alleges that Bobby is trying to take away his property, and that he did not know that she will not be able to conceive, and that he never hit her.
She plans to get a divorce now, though her case would definitely throw new challenges, which her lawyer agrees. “This case is unique and challenging as a member from LGBT community has knocked on the doors of the legal system as a woman, after changing his gender. We need to see how legal system will help and protect Bobby,” her lawyer said.