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Family of woman who died by suicide alleging forced conversion demands NIA probe
The 23-year-old woman of Christian faith, a TTC (Teacher Training Course) student in Kothamangalam, was found dead at her home on August 9
Days after a 23-year-old woman in Kerala’s Kothamangalam died by suicide after blaming her boyfriend and his family of pressurising her to convert to his faith, her family on Tuesday demanded the probe to be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The mother of the deceased ay wrote to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan and state police chief Ravada A Chandrasekhar requesting an NIA probe into the case citing her daughter’s alleged torture by her boyfriend and his family to convert her to his faith before marrying her.
The 23-year-old woman of Christian faith, a TTC (Teacher Training Course) student in Kothamangalam, was found dead at her home on August 9. In a purported suicide note recovered by the police later, she had written about being neglected by her boyfriend Ramees (24) and refusing to marry her. In the note, she also reportedly stated that she was tortured by him and his family at their home when she refused to convert to his faith before marriage.
Her brother told the media that even though she was initially in favour of religious conversion, she changed her mind after her father’s death in the past year. Ramees was arrested on Monday and booked on charges of abetment to suicide, rape under the pretext of marriage, wrongful confinement and voluntarily causing hurt.
The deceased’s mother has alleged that the local police have booked the accused on “light” charges and demanded a probe by the central agency into allegations of religious conversion.
A senior police officer told HT on Tuesday that they are still investigating and gathering evidence to determine if the accused and his family attempted to forcibly convert the deceased woman.
“We are still investigating the angle of religious conversion and seeking legal opinion on whether criminal charges can be invoked along those lines,” she said.
She also confirmed that the accused Ramees’ parents, who were questioned on Tuesday, would be booked for abetment to suicide and other charges. “They will be arrested soon,” she said.
A nine-member special investigation team (SIT) led by Muvattupuzha deputy superintendent of police (DySP) was announced on Tuesday to investigate the case.
