KOLLAM: A 23-year-old woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her husband's house at Poruvazhi in Sooranad here. SV Vismaya, of Kaithode in Kadakkal, was found hanging in the washroom on Monday morning.
Married for a year, the relatives alleged her husband S Kirankumar murdered her following torture over dowry. A WhatsApp chat and pictures later released by relatives point at the tortures faced by Vismaya over dowry.
The pictures also showed torture injuries all over her face and hands. In the message passed on to a relative, Vismaya had disclosed Kirankumar manhandled her demanding money as he didn't like the car her family gave him as dowry.
'He verbally abused my father also. While I tried to leave the room, he pulled me by my hair and assaulted me. When I fell, he also kicked and stamped me on my face with his leg,' the message reads.
Vismaya was a final year Ayurveda student in a college in Pandalam. Kirankumar is an officer with the Motor Vehicle Department in Kollam. The couple got married on May 31 last year. Thrivikraman Nair, Vismaya's father, has raised a murder allegation against Kirankumar, saying he demanded money instead of the car given as dowry.
"The car was purchased for loan and that is why we could not give him money instead. We had already given him 100 sovereigns of gold and 1.2 acres of land as dowry," he said.
Vismaya's brother Vijith also alleged Kirankumar was trying to misuse his power as a motor vehicle inspector to evade the case. Vismaya had earlier returned to her house following issues between the couple, which was later settled through mediation by relatives.
Sooranad police probing the death have recorded statements from the husband's relatives and are awaiting an autopsy report. Kirankumar is currently absconding.
Meanwhile, the Women's Commission member Shahida Kamal has said the Commission has taken a suo-moto case and asked for a report from Kollam Rural SP on the matter.