This week her bewildered father, Harjinder Singh, heard a Birmingham jury's verdict that Sukhjit's husband and his parents, Arjan Singh Masson and Kanta Rani were guilty of her manslaughter through neglect: They let her die, although they were in a position to help her. Harjinder Singh has seen justice done, but he still cannot understand why it all had to end this way.

Sukhjit died slowly over four or five days, from an internal injury caused by ``a fall''. During this time neither her husband nor his parents, with whom they lived, nor his younger brother or sister called a doctor. The deterioration in her condition was visible. She had, the court was told, ``become like a baby'', with no control over her limbs, she was incoherent and unable even to feed herself. Colman Treacy, QC, prosecuting, told the court: ``Quite simply, any normal human being with a sense of responsibility would know that something needed to be done. The situation cried out for help and assistance.''

It was only when her mother-in-law found her lying cold on her bedroom floor, on the morning of June 23 last year, that she called an ambulance. Sukhjit had been dead for nearly eight hours by then. The ambulance crew called in the police because Sukhjit's body was badly bruised all over, a post-mortem report revealed that these had been inflicted by a blunt instrument. Her husband said that the bruising was from a ``fall''. But he did admit to slapping her the previous night.

Detective Sergeant Keith Vundun, one of the investigating officers called to the scene by the ambulance crew spent over nine months, even travelling to Shah Kot, to try and piece together the story of Sukhjit's life and death at Queenshead Road, Handsworth.

What he discovered was a story that is heard over and over again. One of three daughters, Sukhjit's marriage to Sham Singh Masson, a taxi driver, was arranged through her uncle Ajit Singh. Sham Singh's father, Arjan Singh is also from Shah Kot and his grandmother still lives there. Arjan Singh was known in Shah Kot as a ``charitable man'', who had over the years supported the local gurdwara through donations. For Sukhjit's father, whose entire wealth are the six buffaloes he owns, this was a good match for his daughter.

Once in Birmingham, Sukhjit, who spoke no English, was not allowed out of the house un-chaperoned. She had no friends and knew no one outside the Masson family. When detective Vundun asked Sham Singh Masson if it was not odd that a young woman like Sukhjit had no friends, he replied, ``My mum has been in this city since 1950, she doesn't have any friends.''

Sukhjit gained a lot of weight after coming to Britain. Sukhjit went on a severe diet and lost almost 40 kilos.

But in the weeks prior to her death Sham Singh moved out of their bedroom and moved into a shed in the garden which Seargent Vundun said was kitted out like a ``bachelor pad''.

Neighbours recalled seeing Sukhjit only a few times, and always with her mother-in-law at the local shop or the school which her youngest sister-in-law attended. One neighbour said that she had tried to talk to Sukhjit over the garden fence but that her mother-in-law had put a stop to this. Detective Vundun asked Sham Singh what his wife liked to do. Sham Singh told him: ``She liked to cook and hoover (vacuum clean) and look after us.''

Sukhji's parents had begun to worry. She had no contact with them apart from letters she sent through her father-in-law who visited Shah Kot regularly. Her father would telephone from India but she was not allowed to speak to him. When Harjinder Singh insisted on speaking to her Arjan Singh told him: ``She has married into my family, she is now my daughter and she is doing fine.''

In early 1997 even the letters petered out. A very worried Harjinder Singh, who did not have the means to travel himself, asked people he knew in Britain to go to Queenshead Road to see her. One family visiting from India carried gifts for Sukhjit from her parents. They reported that she was withdrawn and indifferent. On another occasion a family known to Harjinder Singh went to the house on Queenshead Road and were by Sham Singh that Sukhjit was not at home and that they should go.

Two months before her death, a man known to Harjinder Singh telephoned to arrange to see Sukhjit, he never did. It was he who eventually cremated her body.

Birmingham Crown Court will pass sentence on Sham Singh, Arjan Singh and Kanta Rani on December 16.