Vismaya death case: Husband arrested on dowry death charges

The couple got married last May. Kiran was allegedly unhappy with the new car, costing Rs 11 lakh, gifted to the couple by Vismaya’s father Trivikraman Nair. Apart from the car, Trivikraman had given 1.25 acre of land and 100 sovereigns of gold to Kiran as dowry at the time of marriage. But, Kiran had been allegedly harassing his wife, saying he deserved better.

A local court remanded S Kiran Kumar, an assistant vehicle inspector with the state transport department, in judicial custody after the police slapped IPC section 304 (B), which pertains to dowry death, on him and arrested him. Subsequently, the state transport department suspended Kiran from service.

Following outrage over the death of Vismaya, the state women’s panel also registered a suo motu case, while the police probe was taken over by Inspector General Harshita Attaluri.

Meanwhile, in separate incidents on Tuesday, two married women allegedly committed suicide. At Vallikunnam in Alappuzha, 19-year-old Suchitra was found hanging at her in-law’s place. Her husband Vishnu, an Army jawan, was away from home. They got married in March this year. The police have started a probe.

At Venganoor in Thiruvananthapuram, 24-year-old Archana, who got married a year ago, allegedly immolated herself. The police have arrested her husband Suresh, who tried to escape from their rented house. Archana’s parents alleged that Suresh used to quarrel with his wife and had demanded money from her family. Archana was staying with her parents, but Suresh took her back to their rented house on Monday, said her father Ashokan.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told reporters that the recent alleged dowry deaths were shocking. “Direction has been given to the police to strengthen the district-level domestic conflict resolution centres, in which district SPs hear women’s complaints and suggest remedial measures. All district SPs have been given direction to give priority to complaints from women,” he said.

According to crime data, Kerala reported 56 dowry deaths from 2016 to 2020. This year, no dowry death had been reported till April. But 1,080 cases have been registered till April in connection with harassment of women by husbands or relatives.