KOCHI: Three days after the suicide of 28-year-old transgender activist Ananya Kumari Alex after alleged medical negligence during a sex reassignment surgery, her male partner was found dead at his friend's rented home near Vyttila in Kochi on Friday.
Jiju Girija, 36, a native of Jagathy, Thaikavu village in Thiruvananthapuram district, allegedly died by suicide after hanging from the ceiling fan using a plastic rope, police said.
As per the initial report, depression following the sudden death of Ananya is cited as the reason for the alleged suicide of Jiju. A style expert by profession, Jiju had been living with Ananya for the last several months.
"After the death of Ananya on Tuesday, Jiju had shifted to his friend's rented home at Jawaharnagar, near Vyttila. As he was feeling lonely, he invited me to their room. It was around 10.30 in the morning he called me on my mobile. Though I reached the home around 3 pm, the door was closed from inside. It was with the help of the house owner that we opened the door," said Nikhil, who first saw the body of Jiju.
According to him, two of their friends were also staying at the house. "They were in the home till around 2.30 pm. Since they wanted to give a birthday treat to Rahul, the owner of the rented house, they went out to buy some cakes. Jiju seems to have committed suicide when they left the home. He was upset and depressed after the death of Ananya. He also posted a Facebook post just minutes before," Nikhil said.
Meanwhile, the Maradu police have registered a case under Section 174 of IPC and launched a probe. "As per the preliminary investigation report, it is a clear case of suicide. We are waiting for the post mortem report. Based on that, we can start a detailed probe," said the police officer.
(If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)