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Outrage over alleged dowry-related deaths of 2 Kerala women, husbands in custody
The deaths of two women in Kerala related to alleged dowry harassment in two days have provoked outrage and prompted calls for changes in the law to prevent such incidents
The deaths of two women in Kerala related to alleged dowry harassment in two days have provoked outrage and prompted calls for changes in the law to prevent such incidents. A 24-year-old woman was found dead in Kollam on Monday. Another woman allegedly died after she set herself ablaze on Tuesday in Thiruvananthapuram.
In the Kollam case, the husband was booked under Sections 498 (domestic violence) and 306 (abetment to suicide). of the IPC. In the second case, arrest was not formally recorded so far.
State police chief Loknath Behra has constituted a special investigation team under IG Harshita Attaluri to probe the cases. Police said they were waiting for post-mortem reports for both cases and will interrogate the in-laws as well.
In the Kollam woman case, her parents said she was continuously harassed over the car gifted during the marriage. In the video chat just before her death, she sent photos of injury marks and scars allegedly inflicted by the husband over this. They said he told the daughter that he was entitled to a luxury car, and the one gifted by her parents was only worth ₹10 lakh. He also complained frequently about the low mileage of the vehicle. Parents said during the marriage last year, they gifted their daughter over 100 sovereigns of gold, one-acre land, a car, among other things.
“He did not like the car I gifted and always used to argue with my daughter over this. When he came here last time, he sought ₹10 lakh, which I refused. His torture aggravated after this,” the victim’s father, also a leader of Communist Party of India in Kollam district, lamented. He said hanging marks were not there on the body of his daughter.
In another case, a 24-year-old woman allegedly committed suicide after setting herself on fire in Vizinjam. Her husband was later detained by the police. Her parents said he used to harass their daughter for dowry. The father said when the husband came home on Monday to pick his wife, he was carrying a bottle of diesel. When he asked about this, the husband reportedly told him that it was for the ants. He alleged his daughter would never commit suicide, and she was set on fire while she was sleeping. She was married off last year.
“Both incidents are heart-rending. It is sad despite a good education and economic background many are succumbing to the dowry menace. We need stricter provisions to curb this,” said state women commission member Shahida Kamal.
Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and animal husbandry and dairy development minister Chinchu Rani called on the bereaved family on Tuesday.
“Both incidents are shocking. We have to ensure such ugly incidents will not recur,” said PCC president K Sudhakaran in his post.
“Both cases cause real pain. Attitude towards women remains unchanged. Educated and empowered, they should have severed their relations and led a life without them rather than embracing death like this,” wrote public health activist Dr Shimna Azeez in her Facebook post.
Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has condemned both incidents. “Such incidents are a setback to the progressive society of the state. We will ensure proper punishment to perpetrators,” he said. Later the state police released two toll-free numbers to help women to register such complaints.
