Woman awarded for mother-in-law's bullying ($65,000 compensation award)

AP on Yahoo ^ | 7/25/06 | AP

[NormsRevenge]

LONDON - A woman who said a bullying mother-in-law made her life a misery was been awarded compensation by a British court. Nottingham County Court on Monday ordered Dalbir Kaur Bhakar to pay 35,000 pounds ($65,000) to her daughter-in-law, Gina Satvir Singh.

Singh, 26, claimed she suffered months of abuse following her arranged marriage to Bhakar's son Hardeep Bhakar in November 2002.

Singh claimed her mother-in-law, who lived with the couple in Ilford, east London, kept her a virtual prisoner and forced her to rise at 6:30 a.m. to perform "excessive and unnecessary" household chores, including cleaning the toilet without a brush.

She claimed she was prevented from attending a Sikh temple, had visits to her family restricted and her telephone calls monitored. Singh said Bhakar forced her to cut her hair — despite religious objections — and would not let her register with a doctor after she developed a hand infection.

Singh and her husband divorced in 2003. She sued under the Protection from Harassment Act, which was introduced in 1997 to deter stalkers.

Bhakar denied the allegations. Her lawyer said she planned to appeal the court's ruling.

After the hearing, Singh's lawyer, John Rosley, said she was "a very brave young woman, who is now rebuilding her life."

"There must be many women who could bring such a case but do not," he said.

[Alouette]

Oh man, don't let my husband find out about this.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

Better than a kitchen accident!

[Buck W.]

I sense an honor killing coming soon...

[CindyDawg]

I wonder if she got the hand infection, doing her chores?

[netmilsmom]

I have to remember to thank God everyday that I do not live with my MIL.
She refuses to use a dishwasher, a toilet brush or cover her mouth when she sneezes (she doesn't want to get germs on her hand but has no problem with them landing on my two year old's head)
She also eats cereal with Orange Juice instead of milk.

[x_plus_one]

How can she eat cereal with oj?

[USFRIENDINVICTORIA]

Are you sure there's nothing stronger in the OJ? ;-)

[Husker24]

Hardeep Bhakar

Sounds like an Indian porn star.

[HeartlandOfAmerica]

DOH! I thought bullying was part of a Mother-in-law's job description. Hmmmm.

[cricket]

LOL. . .

[cricket]

Buy her 'Purell' and ask her to use her hand. . .or spray Lysol . . .close to her. . .whenever she sneezes. She may decide there is a better way. . .

That said, other than being thoughtless AND wierd. . .is she nice?

[netmilsmom]

>>. .is she nice?<<

Her own children call her "Janet from Another Planet."
Her mother, God rest her soul, the Dear lovely old lady said that she is, "A bit particular"

Actually, my MIL is as controlling as the lady who was sued.

She was giving us a dining room suite because they had moved into an apartment. My hubby and FIL were trying to install gas logs into a fireplace in the same room that the suite had been put into. They spread tiny pieces of they log set all over the floor and she insisted on dancing around them to arrange chairs and place plastic fruit.
My FIL yelled at her.
My hubby asked her politely to do it later.
I said, come on and we'll make some coffee.

She stamped her foot and said, "One, two! Three people aren't gonna tell me what to do!"
No kidding.

At that point I picked up my girls went downstairs.

Nice? maybe. Weird? Definitely.

[netmilsmom]

She pours it right on her corn flakes.

[netmilsmom]

>>Are you sure there's nothing stronger in the OJ? ;-)<<

I know I'm wishing there was something stronger in mine when I have to see her.

[JJnmadisonsMomma]

Gotta love those Mother in laws. I once had a bumper sticker that read: how are inlaws different than outlaws..outlaws are wanted!!!

[cricket]

She stamped her foot and said, "One, two! Three people aren't gonna tell me what to do!" No kidding. At that point I picked up my girls went downstairs. Nice? maybe. Weird? Definitely.

Well. . .just a bit schizo, perhaps.

( Recently read. . .The Glass Castle/Jeannette Walls. . .she brings Motherly strangeness to a new level. ..)

That said. . .thanks for the 'rest of the story' ;^)

[netmilsmom]

Hey, I know your MIL.

Wish I didn't!!!!!

[JJnmadisonsMomma]

HA, Meee Tooo