THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Police have discovered evidence suggesting that Arathi, an Attukal resident who died by suicide on June 26, Friday, had been subjected to continuous physical and mental abuse by her husband Athul.
Athul, who was arrested on charges of abetment of suicide and domestic violence, has been remanded to judicial custody.
According to police, Arathi’s suicide note details the physical abuse she had endured over the past 10 months. In the note, she reportedly said she had informed several people about her husband’s abuse but that no one had listened to her. She also wrote that she no longer wished to live as she had received no love or affection from Athul and had been subjected to constant physical abuse and financial exploitation.
Police said Athul had allegedly used the gold and money given to Arathi by her parents for his personal needs. Investigators are also probing allegations that Athul had previously been in a relationship with another woman who is now deceased.
The postmortem examination reportedly found 17 injuries on Arathi’s body. Police said she had taken photos of her injuries and sent it to her mother a day before her death.
Arathi’s mother, Jinu, alleged that Athul’s family was aware that he had been assaulting her daughter but failed to intervene despite being informed. She said problems in the marriage began within six months of the wedding, and that Arathi had returned to her parental home on an earlier occasion because of the abuse.
However, she later went back to her husband, saying she loved him. Jinu said she had asked Arathi to return home on the day of the incident, but she refused.
She further alleged that Athul was burdened with debts and had been demanding the remaining gold that Arathi possessed, leading to frequent disputes between the couple.
Jinu added that she would pursue legal action so that “another young woman’s future is not destroyed.”
Arathi’s father, Baiju, said he had asked Athul to send his daughter back home on the day of the incident. He said Arathi had not disclosed many of the problems she was facing and that he had recently returned from the Gulf intending to bring her back with him. According to him, the couple had attended counselling sessions several times.