5 months ago
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The Kerala Police registered a case against Dr EA Ruwise for abetment to suicide and the Dowry Prohibition Act.
Published: 07 Dec 2023, 6:45 PM IST
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(Trigger Warning: Mentions of suicide. If you feel suicidal or know someone in distress, please reach out to them with kindness and call these numbers of local emergency services, helplines, and mental health NGOs.)
A 26-year-old doctor at a government medical college in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram allegedly died by suicide on Monday, 4 December, allegedly over dowry demands by her fiancé's family.
What happened? According to The Indian Express, Dr Shahna, a resident trainee doctor, was found found dead at the post-graduate students hostel after she allegedly died by suicide Monday night.
Ruwise, who is also the president of Kerala Medical Post Graduates Association (KMPGA), was taken into custody from his Kollam residence on Thursday, 7 December.
Reason behind death: The police reportedly recovered a suicide note from Shahna's room in which she had indicated that Ruwise had demanded dowry and assets from her family.
Ruwise's family allegedly demanded a significant dowry in the form of gold, land, and a BMW car.
Local media channels reported that Shahana's mother and sister told the police that Ruwise, backed out of a marriage proposal after she said she would not be able to meet his family's dowry demands.
This left the young doctor very upset, and she died by suicide, local residents have alleged to Manorama.
What did the police say? “We have taken him into custody based on the statements of the victim’s family. He is being interrogated... We have to check the veracity of various statements we have recorded. Further proceedings including his arrest will be decided only after that,” a senior officer told news agency PTI.
Soon after the incident came to light, KMPGA issued a statement announcing the removal of Ruwaise from the position of president of the association.
Kerala govt orders probe: Two days after the incident, Kerala Health Minister Veena George ordered the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department to carry out a probe into the matter and submit a report regarding this.
Meanwhile, Kerala Women's Commission Chairperson P Sathidevi visited Shahana's residence on Wednesday.
Sathidevi demanded an investigation into the case, adding that the women's commission would seek a report on the action taken by police in the matter, IE reported.
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