The husband of a woman who was found hanging in their Sharjah apartment last month was detained at Thiruvananthapuram airport on Sunday and handed over to police, officials said.
Satheesh (40), a native of Sasthamcotta in Kollam district, is accused of abetting the suicide of his wife, Athulya (29), who was found hanging under suspicious circumstances on July 19, police said.
An officer from Valiyathura police station said a lookout notice had been issued against Satheesh. He was detained by immigration officials upon arrival and handed over to local police.
“We have detained him at the station and will hand him over to the Crime Branch, which is investigating the case,” the officer said.
Satheesh’s lawyer told reporters that his client returned from Sharjah after the Kollam Principal and Sessions Court granted him anticipatory bail.
Under the bail conditions, he can only be arrested by the Crime Branch and must be released upon furnishing a bond of ₹2 lakh and two sureties for the same amount.
The lawyer said the court’s decision was based on Athulya’s death certificate, which recorded the cause of death as “suicide by hanging.”
Following a complaint by Athulya’s parents, Chavara Thekkumbhagam police registered a case against Satheesh under Section 85 (abetment of suicide of a woman), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), Section 103(1) (cruelty by husband or relatives), and Section 118(1) (wrongful restraint or confinement) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
{{/usCountry}}Following a complaint by Athulya’s parents, Chavara Thekkumbhagam police registered a case against Satheesh under Section 85 (abetment of suicide of a woman), Section 115(2) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt), Section 103(1) (cruelty by husband or relatives), and Section 118(1) (wrongful restraint or confinement) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with provisions of the Dowry Prohibition Act.
{{/usCountry}}According to the FIR, the man allegedly harassed his wife since their marriage in 2014 over "dissatisfaction with the dowry."
The complaint alleges that two days before her death, he physically assaulted her, hitting her on the head with a plate and kicking her in the stomach.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).