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On Monday, 21 June, when the news of Kollam native Vismaya’s alleged suicide due to dowry harassment surfaced in the state, Alappuzha native Sunitha got chills.
She immediately called her 19-year-old daughter Suchithra, who got married three months ago to a Vallikunnam resident. Sunitha was anxious, as she knew that her daughter, too, had been facing similar harassment from her in-laws, who allegedly kept demanding more dowry.
Sunitha had reportedly reassured Suchithra to not take any drastic measures, and that her amma (mother) and chachan (father) would always be with her. But the next day on Tuesday, 22 June, Suchithra was found dead in her room at her in-laws’ house.
“When I see such news (suicide deaths), I used to tell Suchithra that amma and chachan are always with her, whatever happens, and that we need her. My child won’t do this (suicide).”Sunitha
The mother was inconsolable as she spoke to Asianet News. Suchithra’s parents are alleging that her death was a murder, and are stating that she would never have taken her own life.
It was on 21 March that Krishnapuram native Suchithra got married to Vishnu, a soldier.
Her horoscope said that if she would not marry before the age of 20, her marriage would take place only after seven years. The family had given 51 sovereigns of gold and a car as dowry. However, Suchithra was allegedly constantly harassed by her in-laws, who demanded more money.
“We had decided to give a two-wheeler, but Vishnu’s father demanded a car. Later, they demanded Rs 10 lakh,” alleged Sunil, Suchithra’s father, to Manorama News.
As per the family, the wedding took place after Suchithra’s father promised her in-laws that he would give the money when he gets his pension.
“However, soon after the wedding, the groom’s family started demanding again, saying they need money urgently for Vishnu’s sister,” said Sunil.
The family alleged that Suchithra was harassed by her mother-in-law after the wedding when their daughter insisted that the gold ornaments be kept in the locker. However, her mother-in-law had allegedly mortgaged a portion of her ornaments.
“I only told her to keep the rest of the gold in the locker,” a weeping Sunil said.
“Suchithra's mother-in-law took her to mortgage the gold for a loan, but when she asked about the locker, her mother-in-law shouted at her, asking if she did not trust them. They would have beaten my daughter, but she didn’t say anything to us,” he alleged. Sunil also alleged that Suchithra’s mother in-law used to physically assault her.
“She even called me one day, crying, asking why we gave her gold as there are problems in the house in the name of gold (as the family kept demanding it),” Suchithra’s mother told Asianet News. She also said that Suchithra’s mother-in-law used to pester her husband to shout at her.
“She didn’t have much of an issue with Vishnu (her husband). But her mother-in-law would keep pestering him. Until he shouted at my daughter, she would stand at their door saying something to pester him,” alleged Sunitha.
However, Vishnu had gone back to Jharkhand, where he was stationed, a month-and-a-half after their wedding. Suchithra was staying with her parents-in-law.
Suchithra’s parents also added that they do not believe that she took her own life.
“She does not even know how to tie a proper knot, then how can she do this,” asked Suchithra’s mother. “Aren’t girls also humans…why do everyone do this to girls...my daughter had a long life ahead..,” cried Suchithra’s mother.
MC Josephine, who visited Suchithra's family before she resigned from the post of Women’s Commission Chairperson, had expressed shock on the reason why the woman was married off at such a young age.
“It is in this Kerala, which is rooted in renaissance that this family told me that she (Suchithra) was married as per horoscope. Because as per it, if she would not be married before she was 19 years, the marriage would take place only when she would be 27 years old. And now she didn't even live for 27 years. Superstition is still rampant here.”
‘Their Only Aim Was Money’
Relatives of Suchithra alleged that Vishnu and his family had only aimed at money through the marriage. Talking to Manorama News, Suchithra’s uncle, K Sajeevan, alleged that before marrying Suchithra, Vishnu’s family had proceeded with another alliance.
“However, when they demanded Rs 10 lakh some days before the wedding, the previous woman’s family backed off from the alliance. It was the same way in Suchithra’s case also. Suchithra’s father first said he would buy Vishnu a Wagon R. But they demanded a new model car of TATA, which we accepted. But a few days before marriage, they demanded Rs 10 lakh, like in the previous alliance. But we did not know about the previous alliance then.”K Sajeevan, Suchithra’s uncle
The other woman’s family reached out to Suchithra’s family, after coming to know about Suchithra’s death. That’s when they made the connection,” added Sajeevan.
Meanwhile, Vallikunnam police told TNM that Suchithra’s parents have given a statement against the mother-in-law, alleging harassment.
“Though we are yet to get the post-mortem report, during the inquest, no suspicions, injury marks or signs of assault were found in her body,” said Station House Officer Mithun D.
A case has been registered for unnatural death. More sections will be added in the course of investigation, said officials.
Over the past one week, Kerala has reported multiple deaths of women, all of which are suspected dowry deaths.
It was on 21 June that 22-year-old Vismaya, a final year Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery student was found dead in her husband Kiran Kumar’s house in Kollam’s Sasthamkotta. Vismaya had previously shared with her family about the brutal assault at the hands of her husband with pictures.
Meanwhile, on 21 June, another woman, 24-year-old Archana, allegedly died by suicide in the house where she was living with her husband. Her family has accused Archana’s husband, Suresh, of assaulting her often, and that he had been demanding more dowry from Archana’s family.
(This piece was originally published in The News Minute and has been republished with permission. Read the original story here.)
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