'US cop husband took my Green Card and fled': Hyderabad woman appeals to MEA for help

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A young woman from Hyderabad has written to India’s External Affairs Minister, alleging horrific abuse by her husband, a Chicago police officer, who then allegedly stranded her in India after stealing her passport and Green Card.

Hana Ahmed Khan, 25, has pleaded for the urgent intervention of S Jaishankar in a case she describes as leaving her in a "state of distress and humiliation."

In her letter to Jaishankar dated August 22, detailed in a report by NDTV,   Hana accused her US national husband, Mohammed Zain Uddin, of continuous "emotional abuse, physical harassment and mental torture" since their marriage in June 2022.

Hana said that trouble began almost immediately. She alleged that Uddin returned to the US shortly after their wedding and refused to take her with him for nearly two years.

She finally travelled to Chicago on February 17, 2024 after he processed her visa. "Unfortunately, upon my arrival, I was subjected to emotional abuse, physical harassment and mental torture. Despite these challenges, I remained hopeful that the situation would improve. However, the mistreatment continued," her letter stated.

The situation allegedly escalated to physical violence. Hana told reporters she once called the police to complain after her husband assaulted her. "The cops let him off with a warning," she claimed.

Hana alleged her husband then coerced her into initiating divorce proceedings against her wishes. Later, in what she believed was a reconciliation attempt, he suggested a trip to India followed by a religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

The couple checked into a Hyderabad hotel. "He then asked me to visit my family. While I was away, I received a call from the hotel management informing me that my luggage had been removed from the room and that my husband had checked out and left for the airport," her letter explained.

Upon returning to the hotel, she discovered her belongings were gone. Her passport, Green Card and personal jewellery were all missing, allegedly taken by her husband before he fled back to the US.

Stranded without her crucial legal documents, Hana’s efforts to get help have so far been unsuccessful. "I went to the consulate (in Hyderabad) but did not get much help. I have been struggling for the last four to five months," she told reporters.

She has appealed to the External Affairs Minister to help retrieve her documents and facilitate her return to the US. She believes this is essential to enable her to fight her case against her husband legally.

In a separate police complaint, she also alleged her family spent Rs 20 lakh on the wedding and provided gold and gifts that were sought as dowry.