Curry poison survivor tells of ordeal

The woman who survived being poisoned by the jilted lover of her fiance has told BBC Asian Network of the emotional scars the episode has left.

Gurjeet Choongh, of Southall, west London, was saved after eating the same curry as Lakhvinder Cheema, who died after his food had been poisoned.

Ex-lover Lakhvir Singh was convicted of murder in February and sentenced to serve a minimum of 23 years.

"I feel very tense and that my life has stopped," said Miss Choongh.

Queen of poisons

"First you think you will get married and start a new life but this changed it all.

"I still have those memories of my future with him, but he has gone and it is finished.

"I constantly think about what my future is going to be and about what has happened and it makes me very upset."

Mr Cheema, nicknamed Lucky, and Ms Singh had been lovers for 16 years before the 39-year-old became engaged to Miss Choongh, 22, in November 2008.

At the trial, the jury heard Ms Singh could not bear the thought of her lover's marriage and went to his house to put Indian aconite, known as the queen of poisons, into his food.

I didn't see her but the people who were renting the house saw her," said Miss Choongh.

"The lodger said she (Ms Singh) went to the fridge, got the Tupperware container and apparently mixed something which he didn't see into the food before putting it back.

"He told her that I was there and she quickly left the house."

Miss Choongh and Mr Cheema later ate the curry and, while he died in hospital, Miss Choongh was saved.

She was in a coma for two days while doctors traced the poison and gave her an antidote.

Ms Singh was cleared of attempting to murder Miss Choongh but was guilty of causing her grievous bodily harm with intent.

Spurned

"Lucky had said to Lakhvir that he would not get married to anyone else apart from her," said Miss Choongh, who was speaking through a translator.

"I had met Lakhvir in Lucky's house and I spoke to her. She told me that their relatives were aware that they were lovers.

"(After my engagement to Lucky) I explained to Lakhvir that she had three children and a husband who was ill in hospital but she said she could not control her feelings for Lakhvinder.

"Once, she came and I had a heart-to-heart with her and then I challenged Lucky on it. He just said she was bragging about it."

Mr Cheema's sister had acted as an intermediary in arranging her brother's marriage to Miss Choongh.

"I made a decision very quickly and hastily," recalled Miss Choongh, who now lives in a safe house.

"I regret that. In hindsight if I had another opportunity I could have challenged what Lucky's sister had said about him and maybe got to the bottom of it before I made the decision to marry him."