Nafisa Joseph

Mumbai, Oct. 1 (PTI): Nirmal Joseph, the father of model Nafisa who committed suicide in July, today said his daughter?s fianc? Gautam Khanduja had not submitted divorce papers to police as he had claimed.

Nirmal, who yesterday filed a first information report against Khanduja for abetment to suicide, said the document given to the police was not Gautam?s divorce certificate.

?The paper was a copy of a memorandum of understanding between Gautam and his wife Nausheen that stated that the duo had been to a mandir to be married.? But since the priest of the temple refused to bless the marriage as he (Gautam) was a Sikh and she a Muslim, ?the marriage was null and void?, Nirmal said.

?Where was the question of a divorce, if in the first place they say that the marriage was null and void?? Nirmal asked.

He said Nafisa would not have committed suicide ?if Gautam had agreed to show his divorce papers?.

?He had been bad-mouthing her and threatened to spread rumours about her being an alcoholic and temperamental,? Nirmal claimed.

?However, if my daughter was an alcoholic, why did he realise it after one-and-a-half years of courtship and when nearing the altar?? he asked.

Nirmal said it was at his daughter?s insistence that he turned a teetotaller. ?Why would a person who pursue me to give up alcohol completely for medical reasons do so herself??

He said the FIR could not be filed earlier because ?it took us time to get out of our shock and grieving period?. Gautam could not be contacted for comment.