The psychotic Queens woman charged with murdering her 9-year-old stepdaughter subjected the little girl to repeated death threats, prosecutors alleged Sunday in court.
Assistant Queens District Attorney Michael Curtis said Shamdai Arjun, 55, who allegedly strangled her stepdaughter Ashdeep Kaur in their South Richmond Hill apartment on Friday, finally “made good” on her promises to kill the little girl.
“This defendant repeatedly and on numerous occasions threatened to kill the victim,” said Curtis, adding the most recent threat was made just three days before the girl died.
“On Friday, she made good on this threat,” he said.
Arjun even admitted her intention to her husband — Ashdeep’s father — Sukhjinder Singh, according to the criminal complaint.
“As recently as Tuesday, Aug. 16, 2016, the defendant told the (girl’s father) that she would kill the victim, Ashdeep Kaur,” the complaint said.
Around 3 p.m. on the day of the killing, Singh called home and asked to speak with his daughter. Arjun said he couldn’t because Ashdeep was washing her hair, the complaint said.
Little Ashdeep was found dead about three hours later by a woman who lives in the home, police said. The girl was naked and curled into a fetal position in the bathtub.
“The circumstantial evidence in this case is overwhelming,” Curtis told Judge Gerald Leibovitz. “And it shows that this defendant murdered her 9-year-old stepdaughter.”
Arjun was arrested Saturday at the South Ozone Park home of her former husband, Raymond Narayan, who was also taken into custody.
“They took them both,” said a neighbor who watched as cops banged on Narayan’s door for a while. “He deserved it. That’s a little girl.”
Despite the evidence Curtis cited, Arjun’s lawyer appeared unfazed.
“She denied ever hurting the child,” Judah Maltz said. “There’s no confession. No one saw her. (The prosecution is) assuming she may have done this, but they have no proof.”
Maltz requested Arjun be placed in protective custody.
An autopsy has been scheduled to determine Ashdeep’s cause of death.