Bharati Das (second from left) at her parents’ house on Upper Cart Road in Kalimpong. A Telegraph picture

Kalimpong, July 18: She appeared pale and withdrawn, but was determined to put up a brave front.

Bharati Das, 32, still had the sindoor — the sign of a married woman — on her forehead, when she faced reporters at the Upper Cart Road residence of her parents.

Faced with a barrage of questions, Bharati said she would like to meet Mike Davis, alias Maninderpal Singh Kohli — the prime suspect in the rape and murder of Hannah Foster —currently lodged in Kalimpong Subsidiary Correctional Home.

Kohli had married Bharati in June and had been living in Kalimpong ever since.

It was only after the police hunt started that he ran away taking her with him. Kohli’s arrest from Panighatta on July 15 had prompted Bharati to go into hiding, to escape shame and humiliation.

According to Bharati, all the time that they were on the run, she was under the impression that they were shopping for their new home.

“I was shocked when I heard that he was the prime suspect for the murder and rape of Hannah Foster. I am confused, but feel happy for the Fosters. I am sorry they lost their daughter. I still cannot believe he has done it. He was always very good, not only to me, but the people and children here. I always felt safe with him,” said Bharati, as she tried to keep her voice from quavering.

“I don’t know whether he is guilty, but I want to meet him and ask him about it. If he is guilty then it is good he was caught. Whatever happens, we have to wait and see as justice will prevail in the end,” said Bharati, struggling to control her tears.

It had been love at first sight for the social worker, who had met Kohli at a medical camp in March.

“It was through medical camps that we came to know each other. I was very happy for the very short time that I was married to him,” said Bharati.

Kohli and Bharati had eloped on June 17 and rented a house in Murgi Hatta (in Kalimpong). Though the family was unhappy at first, they accepted the couple after Kohli threw a wedding reception and made public their marriage.

According to Bharati, she came to know about Kohli being wanted, only when he was arrested. “Whenever I asked him about his family, he would say they were in Bangalore and refused to talk about his past life,” said Bharati.

“He used to say his mother was sick and that his sister, brother and father lived in Bangalore. He gave the idea that he did not have any contact with them. He also avoided talking about his stay in England. Since he did not want to talk much about the past, I did not pester him for it,” she added.

For the Das’, however, a nightmare of a different kind has started. Residents of the area have been asking Oath Bahadur Das, the secretary of the Kalimpong unit of Red Cross Society, whether the vaccines for Hepatitis B that were administered to the people at the medical camps, were genuine.

Sixty-year-old Das, who is Bharati’s father, issued a press release, stating that the Hepatitis B vaccines were genuine, at a medical camp today.

The vaccines had been supplied by Shanta Bio Technic, an Ahmedabad-based pharmaceutical company.

“The Hepatitis B camps were in no way related to Kohli. He was there as a volunteer,” said Das.