A desperate NZ father struggles to bring his 24-year-daughter back from India

Craig Doody, the father of 24-year-old Jessica Doody, says he would not leave India without his daughter.

Jessica Doody (left) and Craig Doody (right) Source: Supplied

Doody's daughter has been traced to Patiala in India after being reported missing from Christchurch in New Zealand.

Craig Doody claims that Jessica has autism and her mental age is that of a 15-year-old.

However, according to the Punjab police, Jessica is willingly living at her boyfriend’s home in Patiala and cannot be forced as she is an adult.

Craig Doody has produced a New Zealand court order which stated: “According to her medical report, Jessica is suffering from incapacity arising from developmental delay and is very vulnerable to the influence of unscrupulous predators.”

Jessica Doody had arrived in Delhi on March 14th. The Police had found her staying with her boyfriend, Gurdeep Singh aka Gary. Gary was in New Zealand as a student where he met Jessica. The two were in a relationship before Gary was deported from New Zealand in December last year due to some visa irregularities.

Jessica was reported missing by her family in March. New Zealand police traced her to India with the help of Interpol. She flew out of New Zealand with a changed identity. Jessica changed her name too. New Zealand police tracked her new passport, and the Punjab police’s NRI wing found her living at Gary’s home in Patiala.

The Punjab police say Jessica had travelled on valid documents so no action could be taken against her or Singh.

Craig Doody, on the other hand, claims his daughter has been brainwashed. He told SBS, “Jessica is still in Patiala and is well but also been severely brainwashed by Gary, sadly I was unable to talk to her properly as the Indian police laid the rules down. I could only speak with her for five minutes.”

“She is so vulnerable everyone sees her as a 24-year-old but her in intellectual ability is a 15year old she should never be able to leave New Zealand,” says Doody who was told by the Punjab police to leave Patiala for "security reasons".

“I'm not leaving without her,” says Doody whose options are shrinking.

Gurdeep Singh could not be reached for a comment.

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