The Kottarakara police arrested Jayakumar and his mother Padmavathy on Monday in connection with a dowry-related suicide case.
Dy.SP B. Krishnakumar, who investigated the case, said Jayakumar’s wife Athira, 24, had committed suicide by dousing kerosene and setting herself ablaze on September 12.
She had suffered 90 per burns and succumbed to the injuries at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital the next day. The case was initially investigated by the Sasthamcotta police. But following a petition submitted by Athira’s father to the Kollam District Superintendent of Police (Rural) S. Ajeetha Begum the case was entrusted to Mr. Krishnakumar for investigation.
The police said that after Athira’s younger sister’s marriage last year, Jayakumar and his mother began harassing her, asking her to force her parents to give her dowry on par with that given to her sister. Mr. Krishnakumar said the harassment forced Athira to take the extreme step.
After setting herself ablaze in the kitchen, Athira ran out of the house. Though a crowd put out the fire, she collapsed and was soon rushed to the hospital. Mr. Krishnakumar said that Jayakumar and Padmavathy were arrested under Section 304(b) of the Indian Penal Code (dowry death), 498 (A) of the IPC (subjecting a married woman to cruelties) and 306 IPC (abetment to suicide). Both were produced before the Kotttarakara Juicial First Class Magistrate Court and remanded in the sub jail for 14 days.
24-year-old woman had ended life in Kottarakkara allegedly following dowry harassment.
